A Life Worth Living
by quisty8616
Summary: Beldo realizes that, yet again, the family of Guy has beaten him. Beldo returns to Monsbaiya to get revenge on Koh. Little does he know that the final showdown won't be against Koh, but against his own demons. PLEASE R&R!
1. Chapter 1: Revelation

First chapter, up and running! Please keep in mind that this is still a work in progress. I'm actually editing a hard copy right now, but I wanted to get some more feedback than just my own. So…read and enjoy, loyal Azure Dreams fanz!

PS I don't own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic. Don't sue me, pretty please with sugar on top!

_**Revelation**_

"Oh, my head," the blue-haired man rolled onto his back and threw his arm over his eyes. The light from the forty-fifth floor of the Monster Tower was filtered, but still bright, coming from unseen windows that filled the room with sunlight. The man blinked his eyes to allow them to get used to the light and sat up to look around.

The room was peaceful; there was no evidence of the battle that had taken place less than an hour before. Gradually, memories came back to the blue-haired man. His name was Beldo and he was a monster tamer. He had lived on this floor of the Tower for seven years, waiting for the son of his rival, Guy, to reach the Tower so he could defeat him in battle and end the family line of those damned red-heads for good.

Beldo growled as he remembered the outcome of that battle. The boy, Koh, wasn't it, had reached the top of the Tower in less than a year! The brat, only sixteen years old, had beaten Beldo even without his precious familiar. Beldo had seen to it that he took the familiar from the boy immediately, turning the powerful Kewne into an extension of his own arm. Confident that Koh could not possibly win, Beldo had been completely astonished when he found himself fading into the blackness of unconsciousness on the cold tile floor of the Tower.

Beldo appraised the room as quickly as his throbbing head would allow. His heart skipped a beat when his eyes fell on the empty pedestal in the center of the room. A solitary beam of light shone from it, clear ethereal light coming from somewhere other than the outside sunlight. In the center of the pedestal was a rounded indentation: the only indication that the Tower's greatest treasure had rested there until just recently.

Beldo jumped to his feet, ignoring his protesting head and fell onto the pedestal in disbelief. The Ultimate Egg was gone! His prize, the sole purpose of his life for the past nine years had been taken by his mortal enemy! Beldo sank numbly to the floor, unable to comprehend that he had lost once and for all. "All my work and training gone in one swipe of the sword!" Beldo said absently to the floating dust particles in the light of the room.

The thought of a sword made Beldo remember his own sword. Seraphim had been Guy's sword, but through Beldo's continual use in the upper floors, it had grown considerably in power and magic. But the sword was nowhere to be seen. Without even bothering to look around for it, Beldo knew that the sword was gone; it was once again in the hands of Guy's family.

Beldo growled as the full realization of what Koh had done finally sunk in. The more he thought about it, the more he seethed. But more than the knowledge that he had lost everything material, Beldo knew that he had been beaten again by the one family that he had promised himself he would never be beaten by again. That damage to his pride burned deeply in Beldo, drowning out everything else. He knew that he couldn't leave the score the way it stood; he had to completely destroy Koh and prove once and for all that he, Beldo, was the true conqueror of the Monster Tower.

But how to go about doing it? Beldo glanced around the room, looking for any hints as to his quest. He had no weapons, no familiars, and no magic beyond his own skills, which had begun to deteriorate in the past few years due to lack of challenge. He would have to rely on his wits and his own strength. Having made his decision, Beldo closed his eyes, chanted a phrase in a foreign language and disappeared from the top floor of the Tower, leaving the solitary 40th floor empty for the first time in seven years.

Moments after his body evaporated from the tower, Beldo appeared in the gateway leading to the Monster Tower on the northern end of Monsbaiya. Beldo blinked and shielded his eyes from the glaring desert sun. How long had it been since he had seen the sun without the filters of the Tower windows? Eyes still covered, he took a few steps into the town of Monsbaiya.

Suddenly, a blue blur sped by, clipping Beldo's arm and tearing the fabric of his sleeve. Beldo jumped back just in time and fell backward into the dusty road. His mouth fell open as he watched a kid, no older than twelve, stop his shiny new Aura Bike and reverse it until he was idling in front of Beldo.

"Hey, mister!" the kid complained loudly, "What do you think you're doing? This Bike is brand-new and if it's scratched, I'm gonna…"

Beldo pulled himself up and brushed the brown dust off his clothes, his temper rising steadily. He stepped menacingly toward the little boy, "Or you will do what?" His gloved hand shot out and grabbed the Aura Bike's handlebars tightly as Beldo continued, "Little boy, do you know who you are dealing with?"

The kid stared open-mouthed, though more in awe than in fear.

"I," Beldo said, narrowing his eyes and pausing for dramatic force, "am Beldo."

Beldo expected the boy to scream, possibly beg for mercy and then to run off into town to warn anyone who would listen about the arrival of the most feared monster tamer ever. Of course, he couldn't have the kid putting the town on alert, so he'd have to stop him somehow. As his mind debated between hiding the boy and simply killing him, the boy surprised him. Instead of playing out Beldo's scenario, the boy simply shrugged his shoulders and said frankly, "So?"

Beldo's cheek twitched involuntarily at the boy's brash statement. His grip on the handlebars of the bike tightened until the metal started to creak and the boy adopted an expression of intense dislike toward the man who was abusing his new Bike. "Are you saying," Beldo hissed, "That you do no t know who I am?"

"I know you're a freaky old guy who's breaking my Aura Bike," the kid retorted as he slapped Beldo's hand off the handlebars, causing Beldo to recoil as though he had been burned. "Get off, dude!"

"I am Beldo!" he shouted, his eyes flaming, "The greatest monster tamer in the world! How dare you treat me like this?"

Both people stood in silence for a moment as the boy processed this last statement. Then, he burst into wild peals of laughter, bending over the handlebars of the Bike and slapping his leg, "The greatest…that's the best joke I've heard all day, mister! You! A monster tamer?" The rest of his comments were lost as his laughing left him breathless.

Beldo drew himself up regally, peering at the ignorant and tactless little boy down the length of his nose. "And what is so funny?" he asked coldly, "I will have you know that I have been on the top floor of the Monster Tower for…"

"No, you haven't," the boy interrupted, apparently recovered from his laughing fit, "Koh is the only person who's been to the top floor of the Tower. And Guy made it, too, but he died. Koh has the Ultimate Egg. He's my hero. You're just a pathetic old guy." And with that, the boy slammed the Aura Bike's accelerator down and sped away into town, knocking Beldo back into the dust.

"What is going on?" Beldo muttered as he rubbed his bruised elbows, "My name used to carry fear in this godforsaken town…" He got to his feet and began striding into town, doing his best to recover his confidence, despite the now brown-blue appearance of his long cape. "Perhaps it is just the stupidity of youth," he told himself, "I am sure that the rest of the town not only remembers me, but still lives in fear of my presence." He stopped and spread his arms wide, his cape billowing behind him, "Fear me, Monsbaiya! Beldo is back!"

Seven years is a very long time. This was the thought that rang through Beldo's mind as he paced through the streets of Monsbaiya. "Seven years," Beldo muttered, "is enough time to erase the greatest legend that ever lived. It is absurd! Do these people have no fear? No respect?"

He stopped suddenly when he found himself standing in front of a pretty fountain, water softly bubbling over a central post and cascading into the pool below. Beldo's eyes narrowed as he stalked to the small flight of stairs to the fountain's edge, "What lunacy is this? A fountain in the desert?"

"It's not lunacy," said a nearby female voice, "It's culture!"

Beldo whirled to face the girl. He billowed his cape menacingly as he surveyed the girl, rating her on his mental 'enemy scale'.

She was about fifteen or sixteen, her green hair pulled into twin buns on her head and her face twisted into an angry scowl that didn't seem to suit her at all. She noticed Beldo's appraising look and scowled even more, "What are you looking at?"

"I'm sorry, culture?" Beldo said. He gestured to the fountain, "This is not culture! This is lavish frippery! This spot should be a statue dedicated to me, Beldo! Who would build this waste of space? I demand to know!"

The girl was furious now. Her cheeks glowed red and she balled her fists up at her sides. "I'll have you know: She said in a dangerous shaky voice, "That Koh built this fountain. Koh is a cultured, intelligent man! Not that you'd know what that means!"

"Koh," Beldo hissed through clenched teeth, "That idiotic boy has taken my town , too?" He grabbed the girls' arms reflexively and shook her, "Quick! Where does Koh live? Tell me, girl, or I'll…"

Without warning , the girl's fist connected with Beldo's nose in a sickening crunch of bone. "You freak!" The girl shouted as Beldo backed away clutching his face protectively. "Koh lives in that house right over there! I hope he beat you up! She pointed and huffily strode away, leaving Beldo alone on the fountain.

Beldo's eyes traveled to where the girl had pointed. His red eyes widened in horror and he fell backward to get away from the house. Guy's hut had been tiny the last time Beldo had seen it, barely enough to support the three people who lived there. Now, thanks to Koh's travels in the tower, the house was enormous, larger even than the nearby Rode mansion. Beldo stumbled back in horror until his knees struck the edge of the fountain. He stumbled backward, hit his head on the pool floor and passed out,. As the world faded to black around him, he swore to himself he would regain his place in society and get his revenge against the son of Guy.

Beldo woke with another pounding headache. For a moment, he thought he had been dreaming, but no. His nose throbbed as well, almost in time with his head. He gingerly rubbed his sore nose, a souvenir of the ignorant girl at the fountain. "Oh, you'll regret your actions, girl! I'll find you and you'll…"

A wet towel landed on Beldo's face, nudging his nose a little. Beldo cried out and threw the towel to one side. He snapped his head left and right, looking for someone to maim.

A plump, middle-aged man stood a few feet away, his arms crossed and a pleasant smile on his face. "You're lucky Aunt Lenora found you in the fountain or else you'd be drowned. How'd you end up in the fountain, anyway, son?"

Beldo winced at the man's patronizing tone. "I am not your son, old man," he growled, "To answer your ridiculous question, a girl with green hair attacked me."

"Ah," the doctor laughed, "You must mean Nico. That girl has a temper on her, that's for sure. What'd you do to provoke her?"

"I did nothing!" Beldo shouted, "I simply asked her a question! Now enough with your interrogation! Answer my question! What is this place?"

"You're in the hospital," the man beamed proudly and gestured to his surroundings.

"This is not the hospital, you lying son of a pulunpa," Beldo muttered, "This place is too advanced to be the Monsbaiya hospital."

"The doctor frowned, "You know, you're right. Or you would have been right before this year. The hospital used to be very primitive. It was hard for me to work here, because sometimes, I couldn't do anything to help my patients." Then, he brightened, "But about a year ago, it was remodeled!"

"Oh, that's wonderful," Beldo said, unexpectedly pleasant, "It that an ultrasound machine…wait." His eyes narrowed to slits and he said in a low voice, "Who remodeled it?"

The doctor's face positively glowed, "Koh!"

Outside on the street, a young couple out for a stroll paused in confusion as a scream rang out over the hospital. The yell lasted for about five minutes until it drifted off into silence. The couple exchanged perplexed looks, then both shrugged and continued on their way.

"Hey, how'd you do that?" The doctor laughed, "That's amazing! You know, with a lung capacity like that, you should be a singer or a diver…"

"Shut up, old man," Beldo growled, "What else has Koh built? Tell me now!"

"Well," pondered the doctor, "There's the fountain, the theatre, the bowling alley, the casino, the temple, the racetrack, the library, the…"

"Stop!" Beldo cried. He dropped his head in his hands, "I understand! Stop now."

"The arcade; and he fixed the pool and the windmills and, oh, yes, he…"

"Curse you, Koh, son of Guy!" Beldo jumped to his feet and held his fists above his head, yelling to the immaculate white ceiling of the hospital, "I swear to you, I will destroy you and everything you hold dear!"

"So you're leaving then, yes?" the doctor asked tentatively. Beldo threw his worst glare at him and stormed from the building. "I'll send your bill then!" The doctor yelled after him, "Hope to…see you…again."


	2. Chapter 2: Come Hell or Furry Dogs

"June 16

Dear Diary,

I have been in this town for only a few days and already, my quest to destroy Koh's life has come to a temporary halt. Koh has gone into the Tower and will be gone for the next few days. Although I burn to kill him now, I must find a way to destroy Koh's mind before I kill him. Such an injury will be much more satisfying than merely ending his life. He will rue the day his father came to challenge me!"

Beldo leaned back and flexed his long fingers over the desk and the small book lying open in front of him. He picked up his quill and bent over to continue writing.

"Yes, although Koh is not here in town, I can keep busy by continuing at least, to compile my files on the red-haired demon boy.

"I have discovered that, in addition to owning most of the property in town, it appears Koh holds the admiration of the entire town, especially the ladies, though why this is, I cannot say. I have deduced that there are seven girls who seem to be closest to the boy. I plan to…"

Beldo swore as his candle sputtered and the room fell into darkness. He rummaged around for a match and when his search failed, he sat back in his chair and pouted.

Beldo's room was an abandoned house on the other side of town from Koh's mansion. It was no bigger than Koh's house used to be, which irritated Beldo greatly. "To be lowered to such a pathetic state," Beldo had muttered while he picked the lock in the house a week earlier, "The son of a pauper lives in a mansion while I am forced to commandeer a peasant's second-hand hut!" Now, Beldo sat in darkness in a stolen house with his diary lying open, his quill in his hand, ink dripping on his pants leg, fuming over how far he had fallen.

Beldo had come to Monsbaiya fourteen years before, hoping to find his fortune. Beldo was the only son of rich, doting parents back in the Western cities. As a child and as a teenager, Beldo was happy and kind. He made friends with everyone and was valedictorian of his university's graduation class..

When he came to Monsbaiya, Beldo was swept aside in the coarse world of the monster tamers. The city boy wasn't very interesting to any of the older tamers and no matter how hard he tried, it never seemed to be enough to win their respect. Beldo risked his life over and over in efforts to win glory and attention from the veteran monster tamers, most of whom he admired greatly. In his journeys into the Tower, he amassed his own large collection of precious swords and eggs, the largest in Monsbaiya history.

But for every rare item Beldo returned with was a better item held by a poor son of desert traders named Guy. Guy was the same age as Beldo, was tall, good-natured, and handsome with flaming red hair.

And he always managed to outdo Beldo in everything. When Beldo entered a race at he local pool, Guy was there, just beating out the blue-haired boy. When Beldo returned with a beautiful new sword from the Tower, Guy managed to find a sword that was just a notch above Beldo's. When Beldo took a girl out for dinner, she spent the entire date talking about Guy or staring in Guy's direction until Beldo let her go in defeat.

But the worst blow, the stroke that finally pushed Beldo's hatred over the edge was related to the tower and a pretty face. In the year or so since Beldo had come to the desert town, a local girl named Wreath had caught his attention. While the other girls of Monsbaiya scorned Beldo's attention for a chance to secretly gaze at Guy from behind pots and trees, Wreath continued to associate with Beldo. By this time, Beldo was beginning to lose interest in his appearance. His once clean-cut hair now fell nearly to his shoulders and as often greasy from lack of showering.

Beldo's personality was beginning to change, as well. His once-genial manner became bitter and cynical after a year in Monsbaiya and he often took jokes or statements as personal insults, lashing out at the speaker.

Yet Wreath was kind to this poor creature. She was kind to everyone, yes, but she would sit and chat with Beldo about his travels in the Tower when they met at the restaurant where she worked in into town. Beldo grew attached to Wreath and as their friendship grew, Beldo regained some of his old habits. He bought Wreath gifts and told her stories of the Tower that made her laugh and gasp in suspense.

With each passing day, Beldo's affection for Wreath grew until one day, he woke up and realized suddenly that he was in love with her. After that day, he journeyed in the Tower only for her. Though he kept putting off his actual confession of love, he worked every day to earn enough money to ask her to marry him.

One day, Beldo returned from a long excursion in the Tower. Under one arm, he carried a large blue egg and under the other, a glittering Sword. He had found the Tower's greatest secrets, short of reaching the fabled top floor. He carried the legendary sword Kyrie-Eleison and the egg of a Dragon monster. Certain his newfound treasures would persuade Wreath to love him, he strode confidently into town only to find himself face to face with disaster.

A large group of townspeople stood clustered in front of the pond in the center of town; Beldo guessed the whole town stood there, laughing and dancing. As he drew nearer, he caught bits of their conversations.

"…so glad he finally asked you! I had been expecting it…"

"Hey, when's the date? Late May?"

"You'll make a beautiful…"

"Wreath you're so lucky!"

Beldo's blood ran cold as he heard Wreath's name. In his heart, he knew what was going on, but as he told himself he was mistaken, he sheathed his new sword and carefully hid the egg in his bag before drawing nearer. He could always use them to grab the crowd's attention in the need arose. He pushed his way through the crowd until he had a good view of the cause of the crowd's merriment.

The townspeople were gathered in a circle around a young couple holding hands in the center. The woman was Wreath, blushing and beaming happily in he arms of Beldo's worst enemy, Guy. Beldo felt his stomach churn in fear as Guy slipped a gold wring on Wreath's finger and they kissed tenderly.

Nothing, not even Beldo's treasures could save his situation now. He had lost he only thing that had battered to him and there was nothing he could do to fight back. He stumbled blindly away from the crowd and toward the inn where he lived, desperate to get away from the happy cheers that marked the end of his life.

Guy and Wreath were married six weeks later. A year passed and Wreath gave birth to a healthy baby boy. They named him Koh and he looked exactly like his father, a miniature portrait.

As guy and Wreath's happiness grew, Beldo fell deeper and deeper into darkness. Any friends he once had, he alienated with his short temper and vicious outbursts. His hair grew long and unkempt again and his fingernails grew into long claws. He began spending more time in the Tower, returning every month or so under cover of darkness to sell his discoveries and to buy more supplies. In the Tower, he honed his skills as a tamer, training his familiars and developing his own skills in the art of forbidden dark magic. Every day he woke, he renewed the oath he had taken on guy and Wreath's wedding day: to have his revenge on Guy. When Koh was born, Beldo's pledge was extended to include the little boy as well.

"Yes," Beldo murmured to the darkness in his little hut, "How the mighty have fallen. But not for long. For soon, my plan with take effect and I will triumph at last over the son of my mortal enemy!" he laughed wickedly for a while, then fell asleep, his head resting on his open diary.

"Dear Diary,

Koh has returned early from the Tower. I am hoping it means he ran into trouble, but am thankful that whatever trouble he ran into did not kill him. That honor is reserved for me.

As for my situation, things are not going so well. Somehow, Koh must have been alerted to my presence, for I have not seen him at any of the popular monster trainer locations. The citizens at the bar refuse to talk for me, the reason for this remains a mystery. Perhaps it has something to with when I threatened to vaporize that _irritating_ trainer a few days ago…but no matter. He deserved it and I am finding sufficient information by eavesdropping ion conversations and talking to townspeople who have not yet earned my vengeance.

One such person is the girl who owns the general store. A skinny thing, but what girl isn't in Monsbaiya? This Fur Gotts, as she calls herself, is obsessed with three things apparently. She refuses to tell me the first, but the second and third are money and talking. I have managed to extract much information from Fur by buying new furniture and useless items in exchange for gossip on the town and Koh. The girl may prove to be a useful informant in time, with the proper training.

In the meantime, I have directed my efforts into tormenting the one girl I have so far confirmed as being close to Koh. Her name is Selfi Rode, heiress to the mighty Rode fortune in town. Apparently, she trains to become a sorceress, but according to Fur, she is not very good. All the better for me, then."

Hiding inside a large pot, Beldo felt his knees seize up and begin to go numb. He resisted the urge to shift his weight and returned to peering out of a small peephole in the side of the pot.

Beldo had been hiding for a five hours, waiting for the Selfi girl to emerge from her house. The thought crossed his mind that the girl could be in the Tower, but he quickly lost the thought as shooting pain ran through h his legs. He bit his lip, trying to keep his mind off the pain when he lost his balance and the pot rolled to its side, crashing loudly into the stone wall surrounding the rode house.

Beldo lay stunned for a moment, then quickly jumped to his feet to look for people who might have spotted him. No one was in view, except for a small mangy dog that stared at Beldo curiously, head cocked to one side. Beldo frowned at it and waved his hand, "Get away, dog. This does not concern you!" The dog, taking this as an invitation, wagged its tail and launched itself at Beldo. It was an amazing jumper for such a small animal and landed squarely on Beldo's chest. When Beldo tried to push it off, the dog began licking Beldo's face excitedly and try as he might, Beldo could not get the dog of.

Finally, Beldo gave up. "All right, Dog. You can stay with me, but under one condition: you do exactly what I tell you to do when I tell you to. Do you understand?"

The dog barked happily, bouncing a few times before replaced its expression of dopey bliss. "For your sake, Dog, I hope that is a yes," Beldo said, eyeing the dog doubtfully.

Beldo sat down on the grass under a tree in the corner of the Rode yard. He crossed his arms across his chest in a sheikh-like position. The dog plopped its rump down next to Beldo and adopted a serious position, as serious as the furry ball could manage.

For he next half an hour, neither man nor dog moved a muscle. At exactly thirty-one minutes, the dog sighed and rolled onto its back, begging Beldo for a belly rub.

Beldo raised an eyebrow critically, "If you think I am going to pet you, you are sorely mistaken. Although," he said, rising, "You do have a point, Dog. If the Rode girl hasn't come out, I'll have to go in after her."

The dog barked and hopped in the direction of the Tower. It barked again and nodded its head toward the Tower.

Beldo waved his hand dismissively, "Dog you are the newest addition and it hasn't even been decided if you will be permanent. Therefore, your opinion does not count. Furthermore, you are a dog. I am a man. Who do _you _think is in charge?"

The dog ran in a circle and hopped once.

"No," Beldo sighed, "Not you. I am in charge. Now, I am going in. You stay here." Beldo turned on his heel and strode toward the white mansion.

After just a few steps, Beldo tripped over the dog, which had dashed ahead and jumped into his path. Beldo glared at the little animal as it ran ahead a few feet, turned back to face Beldo and barked.

"Remember the condition, Dog?" Beldo hissed through clenched teeth. He was trying his hardest to control his temper and not attack the dog, "You must obey me, no matter what. You. Stay. Here."

The dog barked mockingly and ran in a circle around Beldo. Beldo watched the dog run for a minutes, then grabbed it and lifted it off the ground. The dog struggled momentarily, then barked and grinned at Beldo, its tail wagging furiously.

"I'll come back," Beldo said to the dog, "But only if you don't follow me. Understand?" The dog barked and squirmed again, which Beldo took as a 'no'. He sighed in frustration and gently lowered the dog into a nearby pot.

The dog bounced and yipped, trying to push the large pot over. When it realized the pot was too heavy, it contented itself with jumping against the side of the pot and sliding down to the bottom. It yipped happily as Beldo rolled his eyes and walked toward the house.

Beldo pushed the front door open a crack and peeked in. He saw an empty dining room, dim in the late afternoon sun. He opened the door the rest of the way and quietly slid into the room.

"Can I help you, sir?"

Beldo jumped and whirled to face the speaker, a butler dressed in a black tailcoat. The butler repeated in a snooty accent, "Can I help you, sir?"

Recovering quickly, Beldo snapped, "Yes. Get Selfi Rode and bring her to me or I will tear your nose from your face!"

The butler raised an eyebrow dubiously. He sighed as if being threatened were an everyday occurrence and said dryly, "I would, sir, but Miss Selfi is training in Tower at the moment. Would you…"

"Damn!" Beldo said, "That blasted dog was right! Now I'll never live it down…"

"Sir?" the butler interrupted.

"What?"

"Would you like to see Master Ghosh instead?"

"Ghosh?" Beldo asked, "Who is Ghosh? Tell me!"

Master Ghosh is…"

"Wes! Where are you?" A blonde boy dressed in a purple cape charged down the stairs toward the butler, "Wes!" he shouted, "What did you do with my sword!"

"This is Master Ghosh," he stated in an emotionless tone, "Miss Selphi's brother. Master Ghosh, a caller for Miss. Selfi. I will go find your sword." He left through the door Ghosh had entered from, leaving an astonished Ghosh facing Beldo.

"Who the hell are you?" Ghosh sneered at the blue-haired man in his dining room.

"I am no one," Beldo sneered back, "All that matters is that I find Selfi Rode. Go bring her back to me."

"No one orders me around," said Ghosh, "Least of all a…" He paused and peered at Beldo for a moment, as if really seeing him for the first time. Suddenly, he gasped in surprise and fell to his knees before Beldo, prostrating himself on the ground.

Beldo was flabbergasted. He stood there, his mouth hanging open foolishly. But what Ghosh said next completely shocked Beldo.

"O great Beldo," Ghosh said, his voice hushed with awe, "O great monster tamer, sword master…I am not worth to stand in your presence!"

Beldo couldn't believe it. Even in the height of his monster trainer's fame, he had never actually been worshipped, like this boy was doing now. He swallowed a few times and said tentatively, almost afraid to hear the answer, "You know me?"

"Of course I do!" Ghosh's head shot up, eyes alight with joy, "You're my idol! I have tried to model every aspect of my life around what I've heard about you!"

"Why?" Beldo asked reflexively. Before Ghosh could answer, Beldo interrupted, "I mean…it is good that someone remembers me, but really, kid. Live your own life. Now, bring me Selfi."

"Selfi?" Ghosh said, ignoring everything Beldo had said prior, "Who cares about Selfi? I'm finally meeting my hero face to face! Do you know how hard it is to find information on you? I've asked every trainer about a hundred times!"

Beldo glared darkly at the boy. He was getting more irritated with him by the second and he didn't want to lose his temper and kill the boy. Aside from the obnoxious butler, the boy was the only connection Beldo had to Selfi. Beldo clenched his fists and said testily, "Boy, do not try my patience. Trust me, you will regret it. Bring me Selfi."

"Oh, I know!" Ghosh edged toward Beldo on his knees, clutching at the hem of Beldo's pants, "You should teach me!"

Beldo recoiled sharply, as if Ghosh had suggested he swim in a tank of live cobras.

"Yes!" Ghosh continued, following Beldo as he backed away toward the front door, "You could show me everything you know! I could spend every waking moment with you! We could train together, eat together, fight together…"

Terrified, Beldo chose that moment to turn and bolt for the door. Ghosh jumped to his feet and chased the blue-haired man, both their capes streaming behind them, as Ghosh shouted, "Wait! Come back! I love you!"

The two men ran out of the Rode house, barreling down a girl in a skimpy purple dress and a pointed witch's hat of the same color. Selfi stepped out of the way of her screaming brother and the strange man in blue. She adjusted her hat, shook her head and said, "Boys are such a mystery…"

Ghosh chased Beldo for another ten minutes before Beldo ducked behind the carpenter's shop and in the shadows of a stack of boxes. Ghosh searched for another few minutes before giving up and going home after the demoralizing chase.

When Beldo was sure that Ghosh was gone, he got out and nervously returned to the place where he had left the dog. The dog was still hard at its sliding, tirelessly running up and down the pot's sides. When it noticed Beldo, it barked happily and jumped up and down on the bottom of the pot.

Beldo reached down and picked up the dog with one hand, holding it at arm's length. "I have seen a glimpse of Hell, Dog," he whispered hoarsely, "And for the second time in my life, I am frightened."

He dog barked twice and licked Beldo's hand encouragingly.

"After much deliberation, you will be allowed to stay," Beldo sighed. He shook the dog gently, causing its ears to flop, "But you will obey my rules."

The dog grinned, blissfully ignoring Beldo's last sentence and wagging its tail until all that was visible was a blur of brown fur.


	3. Chapter 3: Moment of Weakness

Hey, this is the second post of the day! I have no idea if anyone is reading this, so if you are, give me a review. I don't mind if you completely hated it; just tell me so! I heart feedback!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Azure Dreams characters.

**Chapter 3: Moment of Weakness**

"Dear Diary,

I have given up on destroying Koh through Selfi Rode. The girl has a…ahem, dangerous family which chills my blood whenever I think of him. I have been having nightmares, which I hope will subside soon so as to keep the mission from jeopardy.

I have made a new friend in this godforsaken town. A small dog that I call Elfie. Perhaps it is because I spent seven years living with animals that I find Elfie such a comfort. But I have promised myself: no more animals. I must save room for familiars when I enter the Tower once again with my reclaimed fame.

On the subject of Koh, it matters little that Selfi is inaccessible. I have deduced, through careful purchasing...er researching, the names of three more of Koh's paramours. The first is Cherrl Child, a sickly girl who lives near the hospital. The second is a dancer named Vivian Merca. And the third is my very own Fur Gotts. Oh, the girl is a minx; playing me false under my very nose! Now, the only dilemma remaining is to decide the order of these girls' downfall. And avoiding Ghosh while doing so. That is a

Beldo glared at his diary, which now had a large ink blot from where Elfie knocked his pen and splattered the black ink. He turned on Elfie and reprimanded her. "If you ever do something like that again," he growled, "I will be forced to…take serious action! You have permanently damaged my diary. Elfie? Are you listening?"

Elfie wasn't listening, of course. She danced and batted at butterflies and dust clouds while completely disregarding Beldo's reprimands. When he said her name, Elfie snapped to attention, stopping and watching Beldo sternly, a lieutenant waiting for orders. Two minutes later, she was back to bouncing and ignoring again.

Beldo and Elfie were on their way to the home of Cherrl Child. Beldo had no idea what to suspect. He knew the girl was an invalid, but beyond that, nothing. He hoped she did not have a brother. Beldo finally found Cherrl's house. The front window had had the frame and glass removed and on the sill sat rows of tiny dolls fashioned to look like Koh.

Beldo felt his temper rise and he felt a violent urge to use a fire spell to burn the dolls to ashes. Instead, he picked one up and held it in front of Elfie, who grabbed it between her teeth and romped off to find a grassy area to play in.

"Excuse me, sir," a girl from the shadows beyond the window murmured, "Those are 5G, please."

Grudgingly, Beldo pulled out five gold coins and gave them to the girl. Beldo had become miserly over his years of training and unless he had a reason, he hated parting with money.

"You're new in town?" the girl asked, "I've never seen you before." She giggled softly, "Of course, I don't get out much." She leaned forward and smiled sweetly at Beldo. Her blonde hair shone in the sunlight, giving her an angelic aura. "My name is Cherrl. Who are you?"

Beldo stepped back, astonished. He wasn't expecting such a pretty, innocent-looking young girl. "My name is not important," he said quietly, slowly reaching for his dagger on his belt.

Cherrl tenderly rearranged her Koh dolls, filling in the empty space left from Elfie's toy. "I know you're new," she said, "Because everyone else in town has stopped by at least once to buy one of my dolls. And I never forget a face," she grinned.

Beldo's grip tightened on his dagger, readying to tear it from the sheath and…what? Kill the girl? He had expected it to be easy, but the longer he hesitated, the more he knew he wouldn't be able to do it.

Elfie chose that moment to prance back to Beldo's side, her dismembered Koh doll clutched in her teeth. She dropped the ragged toy on the ground and looked up at Cherrl, her mouth open in a doggy grin.

Cherrl smiled at the furry brown dog and reached toward her, "Oh, she's so cute! What's her name?"

Beldo sighed and released his dagger, "Elfie."

Elfie's tail wagged harder at the mention of her name and, sensing a new friend, she launched herself up onto the windowsill and proceeded to lick Cherrl's face.

Cherrl laughed happily, even her laugh was quiet and delicate like her frail body and timid personality. She scratched Elfie's ears and smiled at Beldo, "What a sweet dog! You know what they say, about dogs resembling their owners?"

And Beldo knew for sure he would never be able to harm the girl. He had always considered himself tough, hardened, able to do anything he was required to do. Yet here was a girl who without even trying had thwarted his attempts to complete his lifelong goal, to exact revenge on Koh!

Beldo narrowed his eyes suddenly as a through emerged. _Was Cherrl as oblivious as he seemed? She might even now be plotting against him while he was vulnerable. Everyone knows it is the quiet ones who end up as the most dangerous. It would just the kind of trick for Koh to play, too. _

Elfie whined and barked, waking Beldo from his twisted daydreams. She was standing on all fours, barking to draw Beldo's attention to herself. She growled and rolled onto her back, indicating that she was hungry.

"Oh, is the puppy hungry?" Cherrl scratched Elfie's chin and simpered, "I've got some yummy meat in the…"

"No," Beldo interrupted, snatching up Elfie and tucking her under his arm. He was anxious to leave this house and this angel-haired girl as quickly as possible, before anything else bad happened and he was quite sure that if he stayed, something would happen that he would not like. "We must leave," he said shortly, turning on his heel and walking briskly away.

Suddenly, Elfie wriggled free of Beldo's grasp and bounded back toward Cherrl's house. Cursing, Beldo dashed after her, skidding to a stop inches before he crashed into Cherrl's Koh display. Elfie, nimbler than Beldo and assisted by knowing what she wanted, deftly leaped onto the Koh display and grabbed a wad of Koh dolls in her sharp little teeth.

Beldo's sigh was a mixture of anger, embarrassment, and happiness. Anger because Elfie was disobeying his direct orders to stay out of trouble. Again. Embarrassment because Cherrl now sat, her thin, pale hands modestly folded, with a smile on her face. Her seemingly innocent smile was laced with amusement, amusement gained at Beldo's expense. Happiness because Elfie, whether by canine instincts or a meditated act, was emphasizing Beldo's resentment toward Koh. Sure, it was just against little cloth Koh imitations, but Beldo chose to believe she knew what she was doing.

Beldo tossed a handful of gold pieces on the windowsill and reached to scoop Elfie up again. Cherrl stopped in with an innocent cough and he snapped angrily, "What?"

"This is too much," Cherrl said meekly, "You must…"

Beldo sighed, exasperated, "How may Koh…things equal what I gave you?"

Cherrl wordlessly held up eight fingers.

Beldo counted out eight more dolls and stuffed them in his pocked, furious at the outcome of today's events. Making sure Elfie was tightly in his grip, he strode toward town without so much as a backward glace to Cherrl Child.

"Oh, what a nice man!" Cherrl said to herself. She picked up one of her remaining dolls and studied it absently, "I do hope he comes back."

Once he was satisfied that he was far enough away from the invalid girl, Beldo sat down under a tree. He leaned against the trunk and closed his eyes. Elfie flopped down next to him and began gnawing on her four Koh dolls.

Ten minutes passed before Beldo spoke. He opened one eye and looked at Elfie, who was still absorbed with her new chew toys, completely unconcerned by her master.

"You, "Beldo said to the little dog, "Are more trouble than you are worth. Why do I let you stay?"

Elfie looked up at him, Koh's head clamed between her font teeth. She shook her head, sending the little doll's legs and arms flailing. She opened her mouth and let the doll drop to the ground as she grinned expectantly at Beldo.

"Ah, yes," Beldo closed his eye and leaned back again, "I remember. You share my detestation for Koh, son of my enemy.""

"But I warn you," Beldo continued, "I cannot tolerate another failure like today. I tell you this, for the failure was partially your fault."

Elfie cocked her head and gave Beldo a look that said, 'Who, me?'

"Yes, you," Beldo said, his temper rising, "If you insist on coming on my missions, you must not interfere or I will be forced to leave you home. Understand?"

Elfie rested her head on her front paws and whimpered softly, her large brown eyes quivering pitifully.

"Oh, no. That won't work, Elfie, so do not even try," Beldo crossed his arms defiantly and looked away, "You think I am so easily swayed by emotions, but I am not. I did not spend seven years in the Tower for nothing."

Elfie jumped to her feet and barked sharply several times. She picked up a Koh doll, now slimy and wet from being in her mouth and tossed it into Beldo's lap with a flick of her head.

Beldo gingerly picked up the toy, holding the driest part he could find between his thumb and forefinger. "You're right," He said softly, holding the torn doll at eye level, "I was waiting for Koh. That was my true purpose." His eyes narrowed and he tossed the doll into a nearby bush, "But that part of my life is over now. Koh has," he stumbled over the word, "defeated me and I must exact my revenge. Don't you see, Elfie?"

Elfie panted for a moment, looked around, and set off toward the bush with a determined bounce in her step. She plunged the head and front legs into the bush and rooted around for her Koh doll. After a few unsuccessful minutes, she gave up and returned to Beldo's side to find something new to chew on.

A little girl poked her head round the edge of the house. She stuck her thumb in her mouth and sucked curiously when she saw Beldo and Elfie resting in the shade of the tree. She waited, deciding whether to advance to or retreat from the strange man under the tree. Elfie's presence tempted her, because above all things, Weedy loved animals, especially dogs. But there was something about the man that made Weedy uneasy. Finally, she shrugged and walked way to find more comforting company.


	4. Chapter 4: If At First You Don't Succeed

Chapter 4 up and ready! This is the last chapter that sticks to my original ideas, so get ready for some of my crazy brainstorms in the next chapter. Please let me know if anything is weird or should be changed; I always like input! Enjoy!

**Chapter 4: If At First You Don't Succeed...**

"Dear Diary,

The girl known as Cherrl is unreachable. Elfie has ruined my chances to take revenge on the girl and though I have only tried once, I believe Elfie will continue on her current path of interference.

Elfie is a strange dog. She is smarter than many familiars I came across during my sojourn in the Tower and she seems to have what some people call "morals", though as she is a dog, it puzzles me as to how she would have acquired these "morals". Nevertheless, I believe she understands my plots and when she does not approve (as in the case of Cherrl Child), she acts. However, frustrating this is to me to have a chaperone of sorts, it does make me reconsider my faulty plans.

Perhaps instead of killing the girls (too quick and simple a plan), I could sabotage their goals or life's work. This thought came to me as I pondered Miss Fur Gotts, I would write down my plan here for posterity, but I have the suspicion that Elfie can read and so I am loath to write it down, in case Elfie should disapprove."

A tiny bell jangled as Beldo pushed open the door to Fur's General Store. Beldo flinched at the sweet, clear note and quietly closed the door behind him to avoid ringing the bell again.

"Be there in a minute!" Fur's voice drifted from an open doorway behind the store counter.

Beldo leaned against the counter and waited. He could hear boxes being shuffled round and Fur's occasional mutterings to herself drifted out into the store.

Presently, Beldo began to grow impatient. He reached over to a small elaborate-looking figurine on a display shelf on the counter. As he brushed the figurine with his finger, the whole thing collapsed into a little pile of porcelain pieces and dust.

Beldo's mouth fell open in panic and shock. Hastily glancing at the open doorway, he hunched over the remains of the figurine and began stacking the broken pieces in what he guessed were the original order. One by one, the pieces slid back into the pathetic little pile.

Beldo gritted his teeth and began to summon a burst of magic, any magic that might fix the statue. A small blue ball formed between his palms and he focused his energy into the ball to strengthen its effects.

"Coming!" Fur's voice said suddenly from just beyond the doorway. Beldo started, quickly aborted the buildup of his magic and, in a panic, swept the shards of the figurines under and overturned pot on the counter.

Just as he set the pot down, Fur walked into the room, pulling her fashionable red shawl around her shoulders. She was a young girl, no older than sixteen, but she had a head for business and was a shred saleswoman. She wore an orange dress, the skirt held out to quite a wide distance by a thick by a thick crinoline, which rustled as she walked.

"Oh, Mr. Beldo," she said cheerfully. Her eyes darted to the pot in his hand and she smiled, "You know, that pot is a good buy. Only 15G and it came all the way from the West. Can I interest you?"

"No," Beldo said shortly, "Today I am on reconnaissance. Er, I mean, today I am…shopping for Elfie," he covered lamely.

Fur grinned at the mention of the dog, "It's a shame you didn't bring her. I love that little dog! Well," She brushed her hands together and leaned forward onto the counter, "What can I do for you?"

"You have a lot of nice things in here," Beldo said awkwardly. He was not used to hiding his true objectives from anyone and had never been very good at spying. "What on earth would you do if it were all, say, stolen?"

Fur raised an eyebrow suspiciously, "You sure you're okay? You're not suffering from heat stroke or something?" She shook her head and checked her reflection in a nearby mirror. "I suppose," She said as she patted her red-orange bobbed hair into place, "If that happened, I would be devastated."

"But," she grinned and folded her hands in her lap, "That'll never happen. This is, after all, Monsbaiya, right?" She laughed at her little joke and wiped away a tear. Beldo forced a laugh; partly because the joke wasn't funny and partly because he knew what would happen once night fell.

"So, is there anything I can help you with, Mr. Beldo?" Fur asked as her laughed died away.

Beldo, who had been inching toward the door, froze in mid-stride. He frantically grabbed the nearest item and thrust it toward Fur. "This."

It was a small plastic pulunpa. Fur squeezed it happily and it made a wheezy, high squeak. She smiled, "for Elfie, hmm? She'll love it. Total comes to 10G."

"Ten gold!" Beldo sputtered incredulously, "I could get…" He fell silent, remembering that arguing about money with Fur was a sure way to lose any hope of an acquaintance. Beldo fished ten gold coins out of his pocket and tossed them onto the counter.

Fur's eyes widened greedily at the sparkle of the coins. She scooped them up in her palms and counted them quickly before dropping them in a small box under the counter. When she looked up, her eyes were bright. "Thank you, Mr. Beldo!" she said merrily, "You are my best customer!" She hesitated and added, "After Koh, of course," which made Beldo flinch painfully as he edged out the door and into the sunlight.

Monsbaiya at night is as peaceful as the desert itself, as if the town walls between buildings and sand didn't exist. Most townspeople in Monsbaiya stay indoors once night falls and the occasional midnight traveler always walked in silence and in the shadows.

The door of the abandoned house slid open soundlessly and a shape glided into the dark street. The shape turned back to close the door when a small furry shadow bolted out the door, ran in a few quick circles around the man-shape's legs and skidded to a stop on the grass near the road

Beldo lowered the black cloak that covered his face and head. "Elfie!" he whispered harshly, "get back inside!" you cannot come with me tonight!"

Elfie panted and cocked her head to one side in a questioning gesture.

"Because you will be in the way," Beldo explained, "I cannot have a small dog following me while I embark on a caper. It could take all night!"

Elfie began to bark, but Beldo picked her up and gently clamped her mouth shut. "If you bark, he whispered, "You will most definitely not come with. Now. I bought you a new toy; stay here and play with it."

Elfie whimpered quietly, at least partly heeding Beldo's directions and she licked his finger pleadingly. Beldo sighed, "Elfie, no. Tomorrow, we will do something. I promise. Satisfactory?"

Elfie's tail wagged furiously and she grinned her doggy grin. Beldo lowered her to the ground and she dashed in a quick circle before bounding back into the house.

Beldo let out a sigh of relief. He had been afraid Elfie wouldn't allow him to leave her behind, despite any promises he made to make it up to her. Surprisingly, she had been easy to persuade. "She must understand the importance of the situation," he said to himself.

The door squeaked in its rusty hinges as Beldo pushed it shut. He winced at the sound and held his breath, anticipating the warning call of a night watchman or a wandering insomniac. None came. He released his breath, pushed the door until the latch clicked shut, and went on his way.

The moon was unusually bright for a crescent moon. Beldo stumbled only twice on the dark street and both of those times were when the moon drew behind a cloud.

Beldo was afraid the bright light from the moon would make him easier to spot and recognize. He had drawn his cloak even tighter around his head so not a strand of his hair was exposed. His hair, a medium to light blue in he sun, glowed a bright, luminescent blue-white in moonlight. He was noticeable from blocks away, which had led to many problems in the past. Beldo, remembering those problems in great detail, had found a cloak in his house and had taken it for his use.

The cloak was much too big; despite the layers lifted of the ground by multiple wrappings around the head and neck, the hem still dragged two inches on the ground. Beldo wondered if the former owner had been a Goliath or dragon as he tossed another fold of fabric over his arm.

Finally, Beldo reached the general store. He was sweating under the layers of the cloak, but he forgot his discomfort as he stepped up to the door. He tried the handle, prepared to pick the lock if necessary, but Fur apparently trusted the town of Monsbaiya impeccably, because the door opened with just a light push. Beldo stepped through the door and closed it behind him.

Fur slept in a small upstairs room, and from what Beldo had heard, she was a heavy sleeper. Beldo stepped cautiously into the room and promptly fell on his face. He thanked the gods for Fur's sleeping habits as he listened for any movement and heard none. Swearing, he turned to see what had tripped him, half-expecting to see Elfie sitting on her haunches and grinning.

But, of course, Elfie was at home, ferociously gnawing on her new pulunpa, which already had several holes bitten through the tough rubber. Instead of his little dog, Beldo saw his black cloak pinched in the doorframe.

He sighed and dropped his forehead to the floor. "Why does everything seem to happen to me?" He lay on the floor for a moment, wallowing in his self pity, and pulled himself to his knees and shuffled to the door.

Beldo tugged on the cloak a few times. On the third pull, the cloak pulled free and Beldo fell backward, head over heels. He rolled back into the base of the counter with a loud crash. Beldo froze again, listening. He lifted the cloak from his face, fearing he'd fin Fur staring at him angrily tapping her foot.

But she wasn't there. Beldo relaxed until he heard a wobbling on the counter above him. He looked up in time to see the pot from that afternoon teetering on the lip of the counter. Beldo's eyes widened in panic as the pot fell in slow motion, on a collision course with the hardwood floor below. He reached his hand out and by some miracle, the pot landed right side up in Beldo's palm.

Beldo pulled himself up and gingerly set the pot on the counter, his hand shaking nervously. If Fur were to catch him in her store…Beldo wasn't afraid of any law keepers in Monsbaiya, but he recognized Fur's personality as one that could be truly horrifying when she was angry.

Which was why Beldo believes his plan was perfect. He would steal Fur's entire stock and frame the crime on Koh. He was hoping that Fur would be so furious at Koh; she would completely disown him and Koh, who was so dependent on the approval of others, would be devastated. At least, that was he plan. The way things were going so far, Beldo was beginning to seriously doubt the chances of success.

He took a few deep breaths and dragged himself to his feet, using the counter for stability. While he caught his breath, he inspected the countertop. The pot that had fallen sat in a beam of clear moonlight. Beldo realized it was the same pot he had slid the figurine under. He looked around behind the displays and small trinkets, but the pile of dust was gone.

Beldo's heart sank momentarily as he realized Fur had found it. Then, he decided there was nothing he could do about it right now. He'd deal with Fur later, if need by. Right now, he had a job to do.

For the next three hours, Beldo transferred the entire contents of Fur's store to the roof of Koh's mansion. To frame Koh, Beldo's plan was to move the evidence onto Koh's property and the only place Beldo could get to that wasn't locked was Koh's rooftop pool. As a perk to using the pool, the stolen good would be water-damaged and irreplaceable, thereby crippling Fur's business. There was no question in Beldo's mind that Fur would be furious at Koh. He, of course, would deny it, but Beldo would plant so much evidence against the boy that Fur could not possibly believe him. "And all will go according to plan," Beldo laughed evilly.

The sun was glowing just below the horizon as Beldo swept his cloak over his shoulders and headed home. Behind him, he left Koh's swimming pool, stuffed to the rim with clothes, toys and random tools. On the floor in Fur's shop he left a list: a to-do list written in what was close to Koh's handwriting with "From the Desk of Koh" and a picture of a chibi-Koh in the top corner. Beldo had found the paper under Fur's desk, apparently newly ordered stationary.

Beldo turned and surveyed Koh's mansion, an evil simple creeping across his face and his old hatred flaring in his heart. He chuckled triumphantly and walked away, his long cloak billowing in the orange sun.

Elfie greeted him energetically as Beldo opened the door to the abandoned house. In the short walk across town, Beldo's euphoria had disappeared as exhaustion set in. He had been working hard all night and coupled with the rush of adrenalin triggered by the caper, Beldo fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.

Beldo slept deeply for the next twelve hours. When he woke, the sun was orange again; this time in the impending sunset. Beldo sat up and promptly fell off the bed, his tangle cape twisting his limbs together and throwing him off-balance.

Beldo groaned and pulled his arms from the twisted cloak. Elfie's face appeared above his own, her tongue lolling. "Elfie," Belo croaked, "What is the news from town? Has Koh been run out of the city?"

Elfie cocked her head, indicating she didn't understand.

Beldo sighed and rolled over onto his knees. He wadded the huge black cloak into a ball and threw it into a corner of the room. "That cloak has caused nothing but trouble," he explained to Elfie, "I refuse to use it anymore unless absolutely necessary."

Elfie bounced happily a few times, then dashed to the black hound and lost herself in its inky folds.

Beldo rolled his eyes and ignored the dog's happy barks. H e walked to the window and surveyed the street outside, his hands folded behind his back like a general surveying his troops.

"It's peaceful," Beldo murmured to himself, "Too peaceful. I must go investigate! Elfie!" The little dog's head popped up like a prairie dog and she panted excitedly. "I am going out," Beldo announced, "Guard the house!" He considered his last order, realizing it was probably unnecessary, as any intruder would simply be licked within an inch of their life instead of being chased off. As he thought this over, he fastened his usual blue cape and swept dramatically from the room.

Fur's shop appeared normal from the outside: no signs, no barricades and no people standing around. Beldo hesitated apprehensively, unsure of what the lack of investigation meant. Finally, he deduced that Koh had already been deemed the culprit and life had moved on. Confident in his conclusion, he strode to the store and pushed through the front door.

"We're closed," Fur said as the bell tinkled over the door. She looked up and her face lightened when she saw Beldo. She tucked a strand of stray hair behind her ear and rested her hands on her hips, "Well if it isn't Mr. Beldo! Perhaps you can help me with something."

Beldo tensed. He was unsure of how much Fur knew. Did she suspect him? He stepped back toward the door, readying an easy exit should the need arise. "Help you with what?"

Quick as a flash, Fur hefted a small box off the floor and threw it at Beldo. He caught it reflexively still stunned by the flying box. "Stacking boxes," she said picking up a box of her own, "Follow me."

She led Beldo into the general store's back storage room. The room was dark and dusty and already stacked high with boxes. Beldo shifted the weight of the box in his arms and stared in awe at the cardboard mountains. He was sure he had cleared out the entire store the night before. Where had the boxes come from?

"The delivery guys weren't going to come until next week," Fur said, unknowingly answering Beldo's questions, "But they changed their mind when I turned on the charm." She smiled coquettishly and gesture for Beldo to set his box down.

"You…delivery guys?" Beldo stammered.

"You mean you hadn't heard?" Fur said, "Koh was sleepwalking two nights ago and he ruined all the things in my store."

"He stole…" Beldo prompted, but Fur shook her head and interrupted, "Not stole. It was an accident. Koh's kind of slow in the brains department, if you know what I mean. Poor boy had been dreaming and somehow, he found his way here. He didn't know what he was doing." She laughed softly at the idea of Koh sleepwalking, "Oh, he's so funny sometimes! But, no, I'm not mad at him at all. How could I be?"

At those words, Beldo almost lost control of himself. He clenched his teeth and his face contorted into a hideous expression, halfway between a grimace and a frown. His fists balled up at his sides and he had to use all his self-control to keep from attacking Fur. Luckily, the room was dark and Fur was preoccupied with taking inventory.

"Poor Koh," Fur mused dreamily, "He felt so bad that be ruined my stock, he bought me an entirely new inventory." She beamed, "He may not be smart, but he's so sweet!

"And," She continued, "With all these new things from the West, I'll make even more money than before! Could you pick up that big box, Mr. Beldo?" No answer came and she turned around to find herself alone, except for the boxes. "Mr. Beldo? Where'd you go?" She paused, then shrugged and returned to her work, softly humming a song to herself.


	5. Chapter 5: Of Course, Mr Bagel!

Chapter 5, ah the memories. This chapter is when I realized that my original synopsis wouldn't work for me. I hope this deviation is good! In writing this, I've gained new respect for Ghosh's character. Well, not respect really. He's kind of a doof. But that's okay. He's cool. Okay, enough babbling. Read on and please review!

Chapter 5: Of Course, Mr. Bagel!

"Dear Diary,

Failure! Why am I cursed to live a life of failure and despair, never to succeed at anything? Is it this town, this oasis in the burning desert that has been intent on rejecting me from the first day I came here? If that truly I the case, I will not let it win. I will triumph if only to prove my superiority!

As I mentioned before, my attempts to destroy Fur Gotts have failed; this time, due to direct meddling on Koh's part. I have failed with three subjects so far. Four remain. I still believe that one girl's downfall l will ultimately destroy the red-headed demon. My impact may not be as strong as I originally hoped, but it will have to do. All that is needed is one chip in the stone to crumble the entire mountain.

Vivian Merca, the aspiring dancer from the West is to be my next target. She is the lead dancer at the theatre in town. I have not met the girl and I plan to keep it that way. So far, I have attempted to attack the girls head-on; that is to say, I have met (or attempted to meet) them face-to-face. And look where it has gotten me! So this time, my plan is far simpler and I am confident it will succeed!"

Beldo pushed open the door to the blacksmith's shop and stealthily slipped inside. Elfie, unaware or uncaring of the "spy game" Beldo was playing, merrily trotted past Beldo's ankles and parked herself in a corner of the room waiting patiently.

"You could at least make an effort," Beldo hissed at her, his eyes narrowed.

Elfie cocked her head curiously and yawned, her pink tongue curling lazily.

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about," Beldo whispered irritably, "You know perfectly well what is at stake! I do not appreciate the apathy!" He looked around the shop, his eyes snapping to a bald middle-aged man standing behind the sore counter.

The man had been wiping his hands when he had apparently been interrupted by the scene between Beldo and Elfie. He stood frozen; one had holding a dirty towel with a dubious expression on his face.

Beldo blinked a few times, stunned at finding out he had been watched. He cleared his throat as he stepped toward the man, "I need to purchase some goods. Can you help me?"

The black smith awoke from his daze and involuntarily fell back a few steps. "Help you?" he said, more to himself than to Beldo, "I dunno…" He tossed the towel in his hands under the counter and leaded over he counter in an intimidating pose: both hands flat on the surface and his eyes narrowed suspiciously, "I'll need your name before I can help you."

Beldo sniffed haughtily, "My name is of no…" he paused, thought better of what he was saying and corrected himself, "Perhaps you have heard of me. My name," he paused for dramatic effect, "is Beldo."

The man stared blankly, no recognition registering on his face. "Right," he said, "Mr. Beldo. What can I do for you?"

Beldo stared in disbelief at the man's reaction (or lack thereof) to his name. "You mean you've never heard of me?"

The man shook his head slowly. This blue-haired man was beginning to grate on his nerves. He glanced at Elfie, who sat patiently in the corner, her body perfectly still, and ventured a guess, "You're…a monster tamer, right?"

"Of course I am!" Beldo exploded, making the blacksmith jump a little. Beldo turned away and began ranting to himself, "I expected it from a little boy, from teenagers, but from a grown man? Surely he was here when I was in my glory days! Has my name truly lost the prestige and glamour once associated with the title of Master Trainer? Why do I even try anymore? It is absurd, how little respect…"

"Hey!" the blacksmith shouted. His deep voce echoed around the room and a few of the swords on the walls rattled slightly. "You're a trainer," The blacksmith continued after the swords stopped humming, "Do you want a weapon? Because if you do, you should know that I don't have much of a selection."

"I do not need a blade," Beldo sneered, "I need explosives."

The shop was deadly silent for almost a minute. The only sound was the whooshing sweep o Elfie's tail on the knotted wood floor.

"You want what?" the man said, rubbing his bald head in confusion.

"Explosives," Beldo answered simply, "Do you have any?"

The man nodded slowly, "I have some, Mr.…Bagel…"

"Beldo," Beldo corrected him sharply.

"Right, Beldo. But, y'see, I need all that I have and I can't really afford to lose any."

Beldo sighed heavily, "What if I make it worth your while?" He reached into his blue cloak and tossed a deep red velvet back onto the counter.

The man's eyes widened at the bag, which clinked as he cautiously picked it up and opened the gold drawstring. "There must be 700G in here!" the man whispered in awe.

Beldo winced at the mention of the money. "Do we have a deal?" he asked almost painfully, not at all pleased to be giving away any amount of money, but willing to do whatever was necessary to win.

"Yes, sir!" the blacksmith nodded vigorously and made a small bow. Beldo could hear low voices and boxes being shifted. He leaned casually on the counter and watched Elfie, who, except for her tail, hadn't moved at all.

After five or so minutes, the blacksmith returned with a large box under his arm. He hefted the large wooden box onto the counter with a loud thump. Two of the copper swords that hung from the back wall clattered to the floor. The blacksmith kicked the swords away absently and slid the box across the counter. "Here you are," he said, "Ten pounds of the best explosives in this desert!"

Beldo eyed the box like a wine connoisseur surveying a bottle of fine wine. "This will be satisfactory," he sniffed, picking up the box and balancing it on his hip. He nodded his head and Elfie jumped to her feet and trotted along at his heels.

"Of course!" said the blacksmith, falling over himself in humility, "Thank you! Come again, Mr. Balto!"

Beldo spun around, his eyes flaming. "It's Beldo!" he roared, "Beldo! Get it right, man!"

"Beldo?" A voice came from the back room, laced with surprise and hope. A blonde head poked around the doorframe and Beldo recoiled violently. Ghosh Rode, eyes sparkling, jumped into the room. "It _is _you!" Ghosh cried ecstatically. He clapped his hands like a giddy schoolgirl, "I'm so happy! Please teach me, Master Beldo!"

Beldo screamed as Ghosh made a mad dash at him. He jumped to one side, dropped the box and sprinted from the store, Ghosh following close on his heels.

"Well, that was unusual," the blacksmith said. He bent, picked up the fallen swords and set them on the counter. As he looked up from the swords, he noticed Elfie sitting on the floor, her head resting dolefully on her front paws.

Elfie looked up at the blacksmith and barked twice. Her brown puppy eyes seemed so expressive; he almost though she was a real person trapped in the body of a dog.

"Your master certainly is somethin' else," the man said to Elfie. He chuckled at himself for talking to a dog like a real person and was about to turn back to his work when Elfie's bark brought his attention back to her.

Her bark contradicted the man's chuckle as sharply as a terse phrase from a human argument. Then, she whimpered, yipped and ran around in a short, tight circle.

But the blacksmith couldn't understand the little dog. He scratched his head and stared at Elfie, who had gotten bored and was now animatedly chasing her tail. "She's a strange dog, that's for sure," the blacksmith mumbled, "Wouldn't be surprised if she was magi."

After a few minutes of chasing her tail, Elfie stumbled about in a dizzy circle. She ran headfirst into the box of explosives and fell back on her rump. Then, to the blacksmith's great surprise, Elfie began shoving the box toward the door.

When she reached the closed door, Elfie barked sharply, summoning the blacksmith to help her. Still awed by the dog's wild fluctuations between intelligence and dog-ness, the blacksmith walked to the door and opened it, never taking his eyes from Elfie.

She waited patiently, watching the man as he shuffled to the door. As the heavy door swung open, she barked and seemed to grin at the man. Then, she pushed the box through the doorway and onto the street.

Elfie patiently nudged the box down the dusty road toward her house. She rested every so often, lying in the cool grass near her box and rolling onto her back to warm her belly. When she reached the canal that supplied the fountain with water, prancing and splashing in the clear water.

When she had finished, Elfie got out and shook herself, sending water droplets everywhere and leaving little dark spots on the white stone of the bridge crossing the canal. Her fur dried quickly in the dry heat of the desert and she continued on her on her way.

When she was a few houses away from the abandoned house, she stopped moving. Her ears pricked and she looked around, at full alert, for the sound she had heard. She grinned when she recognized her master's voice and trotted to the corner of the fence encircling the tavern.

Beldo's muttering grew louder as she drew near and Elfie could tell he must be angry. His voice was low and had a sharp edge to it. Elfie listened for a moment to ensure that the voice behind the fence was her master. When she couldn't contain herself any more, she barked.

There was a loud thump, some hushed cursing and Beldo got his feet, his hands clutching his head and his eyes scrunched shut in pain.

"Damn you, fence!" he hissed, "When I take over this town, you will be the first thing I destroy!"

He opened one eye and noticed Elfie sitting calmly on the grass, her tail thumping happily on the ground. She was watching him intently; not really understanding what he was saying but grinning just the same.

"And you," Beldo said, pointing a finger at the little dog, "What do you think you are doing?"

Elfie barked an obscure answer to Beldo's question. He watched her for a moment, wondering what she had said. He decided it didn't really matter and sank to the ground, his back against the fence.

Elfie watched the fence for a minute, waiting for Beldo to reappear above it. When he didn't she trotted around the fence and rested her front paws on Beldo's knee.

Beldo looked at Elfie forlornly, "Elfie, what am I doing? Why do I continue on this futile pursuit when all my attempts so far have been spoiled by idiots?" He sighed and covered his face with his hands, "Perhaps I should just open up a souvenir shop and fade into the oblivion in which I belong."

Elfie padded back a few steps, watching Beldo's huddled form with what could only be described as a doggy frown. Then, she walked back to Beldo's knee and pulled herself up so she was standing on his leg. She sat up on he hind legs and balancing her front paws on his arm, she sunk her sharp little teeth into Beldo's hand.

"Ouch!" Beldo cried out, reflexively shaking his hand to throw Elfie away. But Elfie had already released his hand and retuned to the ground. "Can't you simply leave me to wallow in my self-pity?" Beldo snapped, "What do you want?"

Elfie disappeared behind the fence for a moment and Beldo could hear a dull scraping, like wood dragging on rocks. He sat forward in astonishment as a large wooden box inched forward. Eventually, Elfie's furry brown head appeared, followed by her body, straining all of her muscles to move the box into Beldo's view. When she was satisfied with the box's location, she sat down just to the left of the box and grinned.

Beldo fell forward against the box, running his hand over the coarse wood in disbelief. He laughed as he pried open the lid to find neat rows of red dynamite sticks nestled between piles of wood shavings.

"Elfie," Beldo said, picking up the little dog and holding her at eye level, "You are a hero. I was afraid I had lost these precious explosives, but you have saved the day! I am buying you dinner!"

Elfie shook her tail, her entire hindquarters shaking freely without the bracing of the ground. She stuck her tongue out to lick Beldo's face, but he pulled her away at the last moment. She paddled her feet, trying to draw herself nearer to Beldo, but of course, she didn't move at all.

Beldo got to his feet, set Elfie down and hefted the box to his hip, wedging the box carefully under one arm. After ensuring the lid was in place, Beldo walked confidently, his depressed and hopeless mood completely dissipated. Elfie followed along at the heels, periodically nipping at the hems of Beldo's pants, but rarely succeeding in catching any cloth.

At the abandoned house, Beldo hid the box under the dry water basin in the corner of the house. He threw his black cloak over the box and painstakingly arranged dusty bottles and various items in front of the box. Then he and Elfie set out for the only restaurant in town.

The restaurant had changed very little in the past seven years. It was owned my a man named Pieter Pan, a chef who had come from the west around the same time Beldo had come, when Monsbaiya had just begun to gain its reputation as a Mecca for fortune seekers.

The restaurant had no name and it served the best food in town, both of which were because Pan's restaurant was the only one in town. Pan was a good cook, but he was also a shrewd businessman. He had successfully managed to drive out competition like pulling weeds to allow a flower to grow.

Beldo stood completely still, facing the restaurant from the shadows across the street. He was remembering, traveling back in time to a memory from almost eight years before. Elfie tugged on Beldo's pant leg and when he didn't respond, she curled up on the grass and fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6: A Dark and Forbidding Soul

And thus begins the obligatory flashback scene. Well, not really obligatory, but you know. I think this scene really made Beldo seem like a person. After writing this fanfic, I think Beldo's my favorite character in the game. So little is known about him in the game… Oh, by the way. The Beldo image I used for this story is the one from the Game Boy game, not the one from the Playstation game. I originally played the Playstation one, but when I started writing this, I got pictures from the Game Boy game as reference. Yeah, so done! Read!

**Chapter 6: A Dark and Forbidding Soul**

The building's yellow bricks were newly washed in honor of the grand opening of the restaurant. A large pig's head had been lofted to a pole outside and was slowly revolving, its hidden motor purring softly.

Beldo stood across the street and stared at the new place, debating whether to spend his money on a plate of chicken or to go home and eat ramen for the third time that week. He had just returned from a week-long stint in the Tower. It had been a profitable run, But Beldo was as reluctant as ever to spend his money, especially as his landlord was in a foul mood and might demand the month's rent at any moment. Finally, he decided he deserved a small splurge and h headed into the restaurant.

He was greeted by a blast of noise and warm air. The restaurant consisted of one large room with two long tables paralleling the walls. The tables were crammed with chair, each occupied by a townsperson, most of whom were monster tamers. All were talking and laughing loudly, obviously having a good time.

Beldo edged around the crowd, doing his best to stay out of people's way. Monster tamers were a rowdy bunch and Beldo knew from experience that when groups of trainers were gathered in one area, fights were prone to break out over trivial things.

Finally, Beldo found an empty seat near the wall and wrangled a menu from underneath someone's mug of beer. The menu was short, just a little card with twelve items and their prices listed opposite.

"What can I get for you?" a waitress materialized through the crowd and readied her pencil and paper.

Beldo turned to give the girl his order, but his words froze on his lips when he saw the waitress' face. Instead, he contented himself with smiling amiably and waiting fro her to recognize him.

It didn't take long before she exclaimed, "Mr. Beldo! How are you? I didn't recognize you with your hair like that!"

"Hello, Wreath, Beldo responded, his heart suddenly speeding up in his chest. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves, "I didn't know you were waitressing. When did this happen?"

"Last week," she said, tucking her pad of paper and pencil in her apron pocket, I applied and Pan hired me on the spot." She sat down on a recently vacated chair and propped her elbow on the table, "So how's the Tower goin'? I hear you've gotten pretty high."

Beldo nodded, "Yes, I just got back from the 30th floor. You'd never believe the monsters up there."

"Tell me," Wreath begged, leaning forward expectantly.

"Well, there is one called…"

"Hey, guys!" a monster tamer across from Beldo shouted to his friends, who appeared to be everyone in the room, "This guy here says he's been to the 30th floor!"

"So what?" someone responded, "Guy's been to the 33rd! The 30th is old news!"

"Ya hear that, Blue?" the first tamer laughed, "You're old news! A has-been! Haw haw!"

Suddenly, Beldo's face darkened. He rose slowly, almost supernaturally. To everyone but Wreath, who was sitting next to him, it looked like Beldo had levitated a foot into the air, so subtle and fluid were his movements. His head tipped forward so his sharply narrowed eyes seemed even more dangerous. Strings of his blue hair had come loose and fell across his face, but he made no move to brush them away. People remembering the situation later remembered an almost ethereal light haloing the man in blue.

When Beldo spoke, his voice, normally a crisp baritone, fell to a low bass, touched with vibrato. His voice was quite, just above a whisper and had his intimidating posture not silenced the room, no one would have heard his words.

"A has-been? Perhaps I will show you what this has-been can do."

The room fell deadly silent as Beldo closed his eyes and raised his hands in front of his body, palms facing together. His lips moved, silently mouthing an ancient chant of powerful magic and a light appeared between his palms, seemingly appearing from nowhere. As he chanted, the strands of hair rose gently, caught by a wind that circled only around Beldo.

Beldo could feel the rush of the forbidden magic coursing through his blood, giving him the feeling of total power. The restaurant, the people, the town itself all were gone, blocked out by the pure, white power of the forbidden magic.

Suddenly, a shape interrupted the blaze of magic in Beldo's mind. He could feel someone's hand on his arm and his concentration drained away. His anger flared at the person who dared interfere with his magic. As his focus shifted to the person, his anger melted as the person's aura shone through. Her face came into focus, the pleading, concerned face of Wreath.

Instantly, Beldo released his hold on the dark magic. The ephemeral wind faded and Beldo slowly opened his eyes and sank into his chair, exhausted.

To Beldo, the world was a silent movie, flashing inexorably before his eyes. The forbidden magic had temporarily disabled his hearing and had sapped all his strength to where all he could do was sit and watch.

He saw the people in the restaurant, some cowering in the far corner of the room, others standing in a semi-circle around Beldo's chair. Those standing around Beldo wore expressions of fear and anger and they were yelling something at Beldo. No, not at Beldo, but at Wreath. Wreath stood just in front of Beldo, shielding him from the angry threats of the customers. Her back was to Beldo, so he couldn't see her face, but from her posture, he guessed she was defending him.

Pan appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, his white apron stained with grease. He marched into the fray and said a few words to the crowd, who dispersed, still muttering under their breaths and casting irritated and fearful glances at Beldo.

Pan pulled Wreath to one side and they talked for a few minutes. Wreath pointed at Beldo and to the customers. Pan followed Wreath's gesture to Beldo's limp form and he nodded, accepting whatever Wreath had told him. Then he said something to Wreath and gestured to the kitchen. Wreath nodded as Pan retreated to the kitchen, picking up dirty plates as he left. Wreath watched her employer leave and then turned to face Beldo. She kneeled so she was at eye level with Beldo and mouthed the words, "come with me." He allowed her to take his hand and help him to his feet. He followed her blindly through the kitchen and into the pantry. She set him down on a low stack of boxes and lowered herself onto a tin of flour opposite him.

"Thank you," Beldo croaked weakly, his vocal abilities returning with his hearing. "I am sorry if I got you in trouble."

Wreath shook her head and Beldo admired the shifting light in her hair as she moved. "Don't worry about it," she said, "Pan'll get over it and everyone in town will move on. There's always a new rumor around the corner. What about you? Are you all right?"

Beldo nodded, slowly, his head throbbing painfully. "I'm fine now," he whispered, "I just let my temper get away from me."

Wreath dropped to the floor and kneeled at Beldo's feet. She looked up at him and when Beldo looked into her eyes, he saw worry and a touch of fear. He quickly looked away.

"But what happened?" Wreath asked, "What did you do?"

Beldo sighed and closed his eyes. He had been expecting this question since he had broken out of his trance. Now that it had come, he was afraid to answer it. What if Wreath, frightened by Beldo's headstrong studies of forbidden magic, left him? Not that she was his to begin with…

He looked at Wreath, shitting so innocently at his feet, her hand resting on his knee. He was afraid too; afraid of hurting the woman he loved, but was too afraid to tell her. Beldo smiled sardonically as he realized everything he was afraid of had to do with Wreath and protecting her. "This is love?" he thought, "Living in fear? If it is, I don't care. I'll brave this fear if I can just be with her."

Finally Beldo gave in to Wreath's pleading gaze and he told her, "It was dark magic. I've been studying forbidden magic for the past three years."

Wreath recoiled slightly, shocked at the mention of forbidden magic. Wreath had been born in Monsbaiya and all children that lived at the base of the Tower were taught at an early age to fear any magic outside of healing white magic and useful spells used for mending or cooking. As she pulled away, her eyes raised to Beldo's face. Her heart almost broke with what she saw there.

Wreath saw a young man, only twenty-four years old, but behind the youthful exterior, she saw a man far older than his years. He was aged by sadness, anger and fear and looked back so hopelessly on his vanished youth, unable to do anything but watch and remember. She saw a young man filled with self-loathing, guilt and shame over the incident today, and loneliness.

Wreath had known Beldo for the four years he had lived in Monsbaiya. It was a small town, of course, and any newcomer was immediately noticed by every native. But Wreath had been close to Beldo since the beginning. She knew what he dealt with: rejection from other monster tamers, scorn by the other townspeople. Perhaps that's why she was drawn to him in the first place.

As she pulled away, Wreath saw all the pain and hopelessness of the past four years flood into Beldo's face. He turned his head to hide his emotions from the girl who sat at his feet, the girl who had, in time, rejected him just like all the others.

Wreath couldn't bear it. She couldn't stand that she was hurting him in this way. Dark magic or not, Beldo was her friend, her dearest friend. Pushing the nagging caution about dark magic from her mind, she got to her feet and tenderly wrapped her arms around Beldo's shoulders.

He froze at first, completely shocked by the unexpected show of kindness. Soon, the reality of Wreath's actions sunk in and Beldo returned the embrace, resting his head on her shoulder.

I'm sorry, Wreath murmured, "Whatever you do, you are still my friend. Forever and ever. I promise." Then, she pulled away and returned to her place on the floor, "You said you had stories of the Tower. Tell me, Please."

Beldo smiled and covered her hand with his. "You truly want to hear?" Wreath nodded vehemently and Beldo took a deep breath and began.

"I was on the twenty-ninth floor. My Griffon was so weak, I feared she wouldn't make it another level and I was there with no return crystal. Suddenly, a monster appeared, advancing slowly…"

Beldo closed his eyes, vividly remembering the emotions of that day. The point of no return. The day he gave his heart to Wreath and thought she had done the same. But no. Once again, he, Beldo was second string behind the almighty Guy.

Beldo wondered vaguely if Wreath still worked for Pan, and then decided she probably didn't. She had been twenty-three on that day, making her thirty-three now. And besides, she had at least two children, one seven or so. There was no way she still worked as a waitress. It was safe to go in.

Beldo filed the memories of Wreath away in some dark recess of his mind, bringing forward only thoughts of his revenge on Koh and of Elfie's promised dinner. He snapped his fingers, waking Elfie and catapulting her feet, tail wagging furiously as if she had never been asleep. "Let's go, "Beldo murmured, glancing down at the dog, "Let's go get our dinners."

The old swinging door had been replaced by a hinged door, made of solid oak. Beldo wondered where Pan had found the money for an oak door and remembered that Pan's restaurant had probably been very successful during his own seven-year hermitage.

The restaurant was busy; almost all the chairs were taken, save two near the door, each on opposite tables. Beldo chose the one to his left, feeling strangely repelled by the chair on the right.

"Excuse me, sir!" A young girl carrying a round serving tray moved toward Beldo as he glided to the chair. "Sir, we don't allow animals in here. Your dog can wait outside, please."

Beldo glanced at her, annoyed, "The dog, Elfie, will be purchasing a dinner of her own. Would you make a paying customer eat outside?"

The girl thought for a moment, twisting her glossy pink hair around her finger. Finally, she tossed her head, freeing her ponytail from her finger and frowned at Beldo, "As long as she doesn't cause trouble, she can say." She beamed, "What would you like?"

Beldo eyed the girl warily. Every so often, a flash of Wreath in the same uniform flickered before his eyes. Pan's uniforms had changed little and the girl looked so similar to Wreath. If not for her pink hair, Beldo would have mistaken her as Wreath. _Perhaps it's just my imagination_, Beldo thought

"What is your name, girl?" Beldo asked, drawing the girl's attention away from Elfie, who had been doing tricks in an effort to get the girl to pet her.

"I'm Patty, the girl said, "Patty Pan. Daughter of the chef. What would you like to order?"

Beldo looked closer at the girl's face. Now that she mentioned it, she did rather look like Pan. Definitely her father's daughter. "I'll have the chicken and Elfie will have a steak," Beldo said, glancing briefly at the menu.

"We're all out of chicken, "Patty said, consulting her pad of paper, "I'm sorry."

Beldo narrowed his eyes in irritation and rechecked the menu. "Then I'll have the shining prawns," he said, suspicious that the girl had made up the absence of the chicken.

At the mention of prawns, Patty's face lit up. "Prawns! She said happily, "Those are my specialty! Coming right up!" She jotted something down on her notepad and hurried off the kitchen, humming to herself. She turned around, peeking around the doorframe of the kitchen and grinned at Beldo, blushing slightly before ducking into the kitchen.

Beldo watched the kitchen door, thoroughly confused by Patty's sudden change in mood. Part of him regretted ordering the prawns. What If this girl turned into another Ghosh? She was acting the same way. Beldo shuddered, imagining another crazed member of Monsbaiya stalking him around town, all because he ordered the accursed prawns!

Beldo glanced at Elfie, who was resting hear his feet. She was gnawing on the table leg, her face screed up in concentration. Beldo nudged her with his boot and tossed on of Cherrl's Koh dolls on the floor. Elfie immediately switched to the cloth chew toy, a much more appealing occupation.

Patty appeared suddenly at Beldo's elbow, two trays of food balanced on her hands. She giggled as Beldo leaned away in shock, "Here's your food. Enjoy!" She deftly slid the trays to the table, moved the plates of food to the wooden tabletop, and tucked the trays under her arm.

Beldo still watched the girl warily, cautiously pulling his plate toward himself and transferring Elfie's plate to the floor. She yipped happily and beat her tail against the floor in anticipation.

"How did…" Beldo began, indicating the steaming plate of food before him

Patty interrupted him, "How did we cook it that fast?" She beamed proudly, "it's our secret. It's perfectly cooked and ready in minutes. I hope you enjoy your prawns. And your steak!" She dropped down to Elfie's level, wrapping her arms around her knees.

Elfie looked up momentarily, grinning at Patty and returned to eating her meal.

Patty stood up and readjusted her fluffy pink dress, tossing her ponytail until she was comfortable again. She smiled at Beldo and made a little bow, "Please enjoy!" She handed Beldo a set of silverware wrapped in a napkin and backed away to her usual hostess position across from the door.

Beldo glanced back at he girl, still somewhat disturbed by her similarity to Wreath. He returned his focus to the food, which was wafting its appealing smell tantalizingly around Beldo's seat. He picked up his fork and took a bite of the prawn.

"So how is it?" Patty had materialized at the edge of the table, her chin resting on her hands expectantly.

Beldo jumped a few inches into the air, his silverware clattering to the tabletop. He put his hand to his chest, attempting to slow his heart. "What do you think you are doing, woman?" he gasped at Patty.

"Did I scare you?" she asked innocently, "I'm sorry. It's just that no one ever orders my prawns. Whenever someone orders them, I get so excited!"

Beldo gathered up his knife and fork, glaring irritably at Patty. All he wanted was to eat in peace, but this girl seemed intent on preventing his goal. "It's good, he mumbled, desperate for any compliment that would make the girl go away.

She blushed and looked down at her feet modestly, "That's what he always says, too."

Beldo froze, his fork halfway to his mouth. "He?"

"Why, Koh, of course!" Patty laughed, "He comes in here all the time and he _always_ orders my prawns. He says they're his favorite!" She stopped and quickly readopted her hostess demeanor, "I'm sorry. I've been rambling. Please enjoy your meal." She bowed again and busied herself with papers on a table near her hostess spot.

Beldo stared straight ahead, violently eating his prawns. They no longer held the delicious smell or taste they had a moment ago. He stabbed his fork into the meat and roughly sawed pieces off with his knife.

No matter where he went, Beldo could not escape the legacy of Koh. As he ate, he wondered if he would be better off abandoning his plan and going after Koh directly. Enough with these foolish efforts; it was time he too matters seriously.

He snapped back to reality and realized Elfie was pawing at his leg and whining. Beldo nodded and rose. He dug a handful of gold from his money pouch and silently handed the correct amount to Patty. She grinned and waved as Beldo left, but he didn't even look back as he walked into the setting sun outside.

Patty sighed and rested her chin on one had has she leaned dreamily against the table behind her. "I hope he comes back," She murmured, "He was so nice and he really liked my prawns. If he comes back, I'll make him some extra-special prawns." She sighed, and then her attention was drawn to a cluster of rowdy diners at the end of one table. She frowned and, hands on her hips, stalked toward the men to scold them, the blue-haired man vanishing from her thoughts.

_PS. Me again! Sorry to interrupt, but I think the times might be a little off throughout this story. I was trying to go through and fix them, but it turns out to be really hard to do a timeline with the ages I want these people to be. Right now, here are their ages: Beldo is 38 during most of the story and 23 or 24 in this flashback. Wreath is 33 or so in the present and Koh is the same age as he is when the game starts: 15. Weedy is 7, I think. Just in case you were wondering. _


	7. Chapter 7: Enter the Innocent

Hey, all! Now it's time for the inner monologue chapter! I'm posting these in blocks, so there is next to no editing done in these past few chapters. I've never written a train of thought like this one before, so I hope it all makes sense! Please read and enjoy! And don't forget to review! I'm gonna keep reminding, just because!

**Chapter 7: Enter the Innocent**

Beldo was fuming. He was angry at the Tower for failing in helping him achieve the goals he had held in his youth. He was angry at the town of Monsbaiya for forgetting him and for following the popular trainers, the latest fads. But most of all, he was angry at himself.

"My life has been one string of mistakes, "Beldo said through gritted teeth, "One right after another, everything dear to me has been ripped from my grasp and held just beyond my reach."

Elfie trotted at Beldo's heels, struggling to keep up with his quick pace. She sensed her master's tense mood and pulled on his pants leg and cape, trying to make him stop and calm down. But Beldo was walking too fast and any corner of cloth she caught in her teeth was lost a moment later.

"I was a fool to let the boy go on the top level and I was a fool to waste time here!" Beldo walked swiftly, his hands at his temples in a panic. He tipped his face toward the darkening orange sky and sighed hopelessly.

He was standing at a precipice just outside the northern gate of town, the Monster Tower's gate. The toes of his boots balanced just on the edge of the great pit below the Tower. The desert wind blew up from the canyon, catching Beldo's hair and warming his face. He closed his eyes and lifted his face toward the sky as his arms raised to shoulder-height.

Colors, images of a life lost flooded Beldo's mind. He saw his parents, smiling proudly over their exemplary son. He saw the faces of the monster tamers; young men, full of life and he watched as their faces hardened with fourteen years of work and time. He saw Wreath's smiling face and just over her should, Guy and Koh smiling in the friendly, unassuming way Beldo had grown to despise. He saw himself, a dapper young student, full of dream and bursting with life. The years passed like a movie in fast-forward. Beldo watched his own shoulders hunch forward from stress, his once-blue eyes changed to a deep red from the forbidden magic. His carefree, boyish smile faded to be replaced by a rare, sardonic sneer. And the light, the life that once glowed in Beldo's face faded until all that remained was a man standing on the edge of forever, his body worn and his spirit broken.

Beldo saw the canyon in his mind's eye. "I could end it now," he thought suddenly, "I could admit defeat, give up my futile struggle and…fly."

As if in response to his thoughts, a gust of wind raced from the north, over the canyon, and it swirled around Beldo. He felt himself being lifted, his feet leaving the ground and…

"Hey, Mister!"

Beldo's eyes snapped open and he lowered his arms. He realized how close his had been to jumping and he stumbled back a few steps, his hands trembling. Suddenly, he remembered why he had awoken and he whirled to face the source of the call.

A little girl stood in the archway of the wall, her forefinger stuck securely in her mouth. She was in silhouette, her face in darkness thanks to the setting sun on the horizon behind her. She watched Beldo for a moment before saying, "Mister, what're you doin'?"

"I should ask you the same question," Beldo retorted scathingly, "Come here, little girl."

"I can't," she said matter-of-factly, "I'm on'y seven . You can't go intada Tower until you're fifteen. What's your name?"

Beldo felt his temper rise, but he did nothing to control it. He stepped toward the little girl in as menacing a fashion as he could muster. As he neared the girl, the sunlight crept across her face until Beldo could clearly see her features. Then her face registered in his mind and he froze in shock.

The little girl looked to be seven or eight years old, as she had said, but she still sucked on her fingers for comfort. Her huge brown eyes watched the strange man curiously and without a trace of fear. Her vibrant blue hair shone in the sun and was pulled into a short ponytail on the top of her head. She blinked, waiting for the man to answer. When he didn't, she took her finger out of her mouth and said, MY name's Weedy. What's yours?"

Beldo blinked in disbelief and said reflexively, "My name is Beldo. Little girl…"  
"Weedy," she corrected, a note of annoyance in her voice. Almost immediately after her correction, she shrank back as if startled by her boldness. She squeezed the little stuffed duck under her arm a little tighter, but her eyes never left Beldo's.

"Right, Weedy. Do you know someone named…" Beldo cut himself off, thought for a moment, then drew himself up to his full height and said in a hard voice, "What do you want little g…Weedy?"

Weedy shrugged, "I found a cute little doggy and he led me here an' you were actin' weird. What're you doin'?"

"What I do is one of your business," Beldo said coolly, "This dog, where is she?"

"It's a 'he', Weedy protested, "I'm naming him 'Koh', after my…"  
"You will do nothing of the sort!" Beldo shouted suddenly, "She is my dog and her name is Elfie. Now, where is she?"

Elfie's bark floated over the wall and she came barreling toward the gate, tongue flapping and tail wagging hysterically. Suddenly, she slammed headfirst into a glowing, green barrier that blocked the gate. She fell onto her rump, shook her head and took up her place against the barrier, the wagging of her tail now slowed a bit.

"He can't cross, either," Weedy explained, "not without his mater and I'm too little Hey! What're you doin'?"

Beldo had moved across form Elfie and gently picked her up, pulling her through the barrier and cradling her in his arms. "Her name is Elfie," he said to Weedy, "She has been living with me for five weeks now."

"Oh," Weedy said, crestfallen. She gazed longingly at the little dog and said:Could I still come play with him…er, her?"

Beldo hesitated; the last thing he needed was a little girl poking around his house and following him in town, especially one that so closely resembled Wreath. The likeness was eerie and Beldo had decided she had to be Wreath's niece if not her daughter. That thought gave him chills.

Finally, he nodded grudgingly and said, "Yes, you may play with Elfie. I hope this does not cause…"

"Oh, yay!" Weedy cheered, her contrary mood completely dissipated, "I made two new friends! Wait until Mama hears!"

"No!"" Beldo interrupted, dropping Elfie to the ground. The little dog landed on her feet, then fell over, not caring one bit about her tumble. "You must not tell Wreath that I am here!" Beldo continued. His eyes widened in slight fear, though he didn't understand why he should be so afraid of Wreath.

"How'd you know her name?"

"I…I just did," Beldo stammered, "You resemble her. But you must not tell her my name. That is my one condition."

Weedy frowned and shrugged, "Awright. I'll just tell Mama I made a new friend named Joe. 'Kay? Let's read my Monster Book!"

Beldo sighed and followed Weedy away from the Tower. Under his breath, he muttered, "What have I gotten myself into this time?"

Considering the size of Monsbaiya, Beldo considered it a wonder that he had yet to run into Koh or Wreath, especially now that Weedy followed him like a shadow. Every day, he expected Weedy to arrive with mother or brother in tow, and every day, he breathed a sigh of relief when the little girl burst in the front door alone.

Weedy apparently had nothing better to do than follow a 34-year-old man and his miniscule dog, because as the temple bell rang every day at 10 'o clock, Weedy would appear, beaming and toting her Monster book. Every day, she left at 4 'o clock, promising to return the next day.

Weedy was like her mother in more than appearance. She quickly deduced that Beldo had been a monster tamer and demanded stories of Beldo's adventures in the Tower. She would open her Monster Book to the table of contents, point at a random monster and Beldo would tell her of his encounters with that creature. When he spoke, she would lay on her stomach, her chin propped on her palms and her entire focus on Beldo's descriptions of life in the Tower. Beldo learned to love his stories again and told them with renewed vigor, changing the tone and pitch of his voice and adding gestures as well.

Weeks passed and Beldo grew fond of the little girl. He looked forward to her visits and sometimes, they would walk around town, Elfie trotting a few paces in front. Beldo still maintained his gruff personality, but around Weedy, he found it difficult to keep his protective emotional shell. She laughed and gasped at all the right times in Beldo's stories and sometimes told him stories of her own that made Beldo laugh with their childlike antics and characters. It wasn't long before Beldo thought of Weedy as his own daughter.

_This chapter is really short because I wanted to keep the next part intact and this part didn't really fit with the next chapter. That's also why it ends with a kind of not-ending. So, press-a de arrow and keep reading!_


	8. Chapter 8: Mama Will Love You!

Another shortie, for the same reason as the last short chapter. Big transition in the next chapter. Can't manage to talk in complete sentences. Computer running out of green squiggles. Oh, no! I forgot to disclaim the last few chapters, but I'm assuming that it's a given by now. I'm not worth suing anyway… R&R!

Chapter 8: Mama Will Love You!

"Hey, Beldo?" Weedy looked up from Elfie, whom she was scratching behind the ears. She waited for Beldo's response, then continued on, "Did you know my daddy?"

Beldo dropped the book he head been reading and stared at the little girl on the floor. She waited patiently, one hand in Elfie's head. Choosing his words carefully, Beldo asked, "Why would you think that, Weedy?"

"That's what the men at the tavern said. I asked them to tell me, but they just laughed at me. I don't like them anyway. So, do you?"

"What were you doing in the tavern?"

"I dropped my ducky and he slid under the door. Did you know my daddy?"

For a moment, Beldo considered lying to her. To tell Weedy about her father meant he would have to talk about Guy's life in the Tower. And part of that life was how he died. Beldo opened his mouth to deny knowing Guy, but at the same time, he knew he couldn't lie to Weedy. He swallowed hard and said quietly, "Yes."

"Really?" Weedy gasped happily, "Tell me about him! Please tell me!"

Beldo shook his head and turned his gaze out the window, anything to avoid Weedy's intense eye, "No. You should hear those stories from your mother or brother. Not me."

Weedy's face fell, "Koh doesn't tell me stuff. He's too busy with th' Tower and with Nico," she said quietly, "And Mama doesn't like to talk about Daddy. I asked her once and she got real quiet."

Beldo watched her sadly. She had resumed petting Elfie, but her petting was slower, more melancholy. He stood up and walked to the door. "Come," he said, "We'll go for a walk and I'll tell you." Weedy beamed and left the sleeping Elfie to join Beldo as he left the house.

_So Wreath still misses Guy,_ Beldo thought. The thought of Guy brought no hatred to Beldo's mind as it usually did, but Beldo didn't notice. He thought about Weedy, the poor little girl who had grown up with only an image of the legend of Guy and nothing of the man who was her father. Beldo remembered his own father, a jovial merchant in the West, whom he left behind long ago to pursue his own dreams. He felt a pang of longing and loneliness as he tried to imagine his own childhood without his father with him.

"You said you'd tell me a story," Weedy said tentatively. She recognized the expression on Beldo's face as one she'd seen on her mother's face whenever Guy's name came up. Weedy didn't really expect an answer about Guy; she had learned not to.

"He was a monster tamer," Beldo said quietly. He swallowed hard and added, "The greatest who ever lived."

The words tore Beldo apart inside. Everything he had been fighting for since he came to Monsbaiya had been destroyed by those five words. He glanced down at Weedy and his feelings of doubt were completely dispelled by her proud, smiling face. He felt a rush of content, momentarily wondered where the feeling came from, then decided that he didn't care.

"Hey, come with me, Beldo," Weedy said suddenly. She tugged his hand and he followed, amused at her sudden excitement. His eyes rose to the building Weedy was leading him toward and his heart stopped. He tore his hand from Weedy's grasp and stumbled backward.

"Beldo," Weedy asked, "What's wrong?"

"Elfie," Beldo said hastily, searching for any excuse he could find, "Where's Elfie?"

"She's asleep at home," Weedy said, "C'mon. Mama wants to meet you."

Any color still in Beldo's face faded away, "You…told her…?"

"No," Weedy said, "She just wanted to meet my friend. She said she'd make cookies," she said temptingly. She considered Beldo for a moment, then said tenderly, "Are you afraid, Beldo?"

Beldo frowned defensively, "Of course not. I'm a grown man. Of course I'm not afraid."

"Y'know," Weedy said as she took Beldo's gloved hand in her own tiny hands, "Mama says it's all right for adults to be scared. She says she gets scared sometimes. So, y'see? You can be scared if you want."

Beldo looked at Weedy dubiously. She smiled encouragingly and tugged his hand. Slowly, Beldo got to his feet, still in a daze. He swayed a little and followed Weedy toward her house.

"What am I doing?" Beldo muttered as he allowed himself to be led blindly.

"Don't worry," Weedy smiled, "Mama will love you!"

"Mama! I'm home!" Weedy surveyed the entrance hall and pulled Beldo in. "Wait here," she whispered, "I'll get Mama." She set her Monster Book on an end table and dashed into the inner rooms.

Beldo swallowed and his hand began to shake involuntarily. He clenched his hand into a fist and stared at his hand as if it were a traitor. A glimmer of light caught his eye and he turned to catch his reflection in a large mirror. Suddenly, his face seemed very old. He glanced at the inner door and ran his hand through his long hair. He took a deep breath and willed his thudding heart to slow, but, of course it didn't.

"He's in here, Mama." Weedy's voice came from the next room.

"Weedy, you know you shouldn't leave guests in the hall. Invite him in next time. All right, honey?"

"Okay, Mama."

Beldo's breath caught in his throat at the sound of Wreath's voice. Memories flooded across his mind, but his forced them away. For a second, he considered dashing out the door to spare Wreath and himself the pain. Before the thought was even fully formed, though, he knew he'd never be able to go through with it. He lifted his chin, took a deep breath and waited.

"I made chocolate cookies and I'll set out some milk, too," Wreath was explaining to Weedy, "But you'll have to save some for when…" She trailed off as she stepped into the room. The mixing bowl she was holding slipped from her fingers and landed on the hard tile floor with a crash. Wreath didn't move, though. Her eyes remained locked on Beldo, an incredulous expression on her face.

Weedy fidgeted uncomfortably in the silence following the bowl's crash. She grabbed Beldo's hand and awkwardly pulled him forward. "Mama," she said, "This is my friend. His name's Beldo."

Wreath's eyes moved to her daughter. "Weedy, honey," she said, "Would you mind checking the cookies for me? Don't burn yourself; just check the timer."

Weedy glanced at Beldo and nodded cheerfully to her mother, "Okay, Mama!" She smiled at Beldo and dashed out of the room, leaving another awkward silence in her wake.

"Hello, Wreath," Beldo said, drawing her attention from her retreating daughter, "You look…"

"Old?" Wreath offered. She chuckled, "I feel like it, too. Especially with…"

"I was going to say 'beautiful'," Beldo interrupted. His voice fell to a whisper as he said, "As always."

"Oh," Wreath said meekly. Suddenly, remembering her fallen bowl, she dropped to her knees to pick it up, scooping spilled batter into the bowl for easier disposal. "It's been a long time," she said, her voice muffled by the floor, "How long…"

"Ten years," Beldo answered quickly. He bent to help Wreath, but she shook him off. He watched her, taking advantage of her distraction to really look at her. The long blue hair that she used to wear down around her shoulders was now pulled up into a loose bun to keep it out of her face during work. He noticed tiny creases around her eyes, which still glowed with the life they had in the years before. She seemed tired, though, and burdened with more than she had to worry about ten years before. But Beldo had meant what he had said; she was still beautiful.

As he waited, Beldo felt the urge to bolt. He had seen Wreath and she obviously wasn't interested in him. He could run to the abandoned house, get Elfie and leave Monsbaiya forever. He could forget about his life in this God-forsaken town and start a new life in a new city back west. And all it would take would be a few steps through a door.

"You're thinking of leaving," Wreath said, interrupting Beldo's plans, "Please don't. I'm sorry I'm so…distracted. Please. Stay."

Beldo frowned slightly, "How did you know what I was thinking?"

"I can read you perfectly," she smiled, "Always could. Oh, it's good to see you, Beldo! I've missed you!" She tilted her head, indicating for him to follow her into the kitchen.

"Mama!" Weedy cried out as the two adults entered the kitchen, "You weren't supposedta come in yet!" Weedy had found three glasses and was messily pouring milk into the glasses, filling them until the white milk cascaded over the rims of the glasses life fountains.

She picked up one of the glasses and carried it as carefully as she could across the kitchen. With a proud grin, she handed it to Beldo. "Here, Beldo!" she said, "I poured you some milk and when the cookies are done, we can eat those!"

Beldo took the glass hesitantly, glancing at Wreath over Weedy's head. He knew that by taking the glass, he would be obliged to stay for a while. Part of him wanted very badly to stay, but he wasn't sure how Wreath felt about his sudden reappearance. He raised his eyebrows questioningly and Wreath nodded, a small smile on her face.

"Thank you," Beldo forced what he hoped was a believable smile. She showed no trace of worry or anger, which Beldo took as a good sign. "I can only stay for a few minutes," he continued, speaking to both Weedy and Wreath, "Elfie is alone at home, after all."

"I'll go get her!" Weedy exclaimed, "Then you can stay longer!" She grinned proudly at the brilliance of her idea and dashed from the room before either adult could make a move to stop her. A few seconds later, the front door slammed and the house fell into silence.

Wreath sighed good-naturedly and began to wipe up the spilled milk. Without looking up, she asked, "Who's Elfie?"

"My dog," Beldo explained, "We left her asleep at home when we went out for our walk."

"You have a dog?" Wreath smiled, "No familiar? I thought you'd still be in the Tower…" She trailed off as she realized the potential for this new topic of conversation and she changed the subject. "Is that what you've been doing, then?" she asked, indicating the walks, "Weedy talks about you all the time, but she never said what you do together."

"She likes stories," Beldo said. He gingerly set the glass of milk on the counter, careful not to spill any liquid from the overfilled glass. "She likes to hear my stories. Just like her mother."

Wreath hesitated momentarily and a nostalgic smile spread across her face. "And why not?" she said, "You always were a great storyteller." She finally looked up at Beldo, lifting her eyes from the rag in her hand. "I've missed you," she said, "Where were you these past years?"

Her words shocked Beldo. She had missed him? He had always thought her feelings for him had disappeared with her marriage to Guy. Any lingering feelings she felt he had been sure had been lost when he and Guy had…

_I have to tell her,_ Beldo realized, _She doesn't know, she can't know about what happened in the Tower. If she knew, she'd have nothing to do with me. Even if it means I will lose her forever, I must tell her. She has a right to know._

When Beldo hadn't answered her question, Wreath had nervously changed the topic. Throughout Beldo's inner monologue, she had been talking about anything she could think of to break the heavy silence.

"…Weedy likes to hear the stories. They always made me laugh and Weedy really loves the Tower. She totes her Monster Book everywhere. I think she'll be a tamer when she…"

"Wreath," Beldo interrupted, "You should know. I was the one who…who murdered Guy."

Wreath froze. She had turned away from Beldo and her face was half in shadow, disguising her expression. When she finally spoke, her voice was stead and unreadable. "I know," she said to the wall, still in shadows.

"I am sorry," Beldo said hoarsely, turning to leave the house. His feet moved on their own, but he did nothing to stop them. It was finally over; he had finally severed ties to Wreath's family and Beldo could close this chapter in his life and move on.

He felt a hand on his own hand, a small palm with thin, but tough fingers. "Don't leave," Wreath's voice pleaded. She squeezed his hand, "Not after so long. Please stay a while."

"You would spend time with your husband's murderer?" Beldo asked bitterly.

Wreath winced, "That may be, but I made a promise before all that. I promised a good friend that I would always be his friend. I always keep my promises."

"Thank you," Beldo said, "You…"

"I'm back!" Weedy's voice accompanied the slamming of the front door. A second later, a furry brown creature streaked into the kitchen and stopped at Beldo's feet, her brown eyes sparkling happily.

"Mama!" Weedy bounced into the room and beamed at her mother, "Did you an' Beldo talk? Did he tell you a story? Are the cookies done? You gotta meet Elfie!"

"Slow down, dear," Wreath laughed, "To answer your questions: yes, no, and almost. I'm just taking the cookies out now."

"Yay!" Weedy cheered, "Tell her a story, Beldo!" She pulled on his hand and begged, "Tell her the one about the Barong!"

"Weedy," Wreath said as she transferred the freshly baked cookies from the tray to a plate, "Did you know that Beldo and I used to be…are old friends?"

Weedy's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?" she asked incredulously, "When?"

"Before you were born," Beldo said, playfully tapping Weedy's nose.

She giggled, "Then Mama's heard your stories already."

"I wouldn't mind hearing them again," Wreath said, "Go ahead, Beldo."

Beldo looked from mother to daughter and his heart rose, buoyed by the sudden and unexpected kindness. He hadn't expected to find friendship anywhere in Monsbaiya, yet he had found it in the two people he had least expected. He smiled and leaned forward as he lowered his voice to a suspenseful pitch to begin his story.

"I was on the thirty-fifth floor, with only a sword and a shield in my hands. There were no monsters around and I was beginning to grow suspicious when…I suddenly found myself in a monster den, surrounded by a dozen of the most blood-curdling monsters in the Tower…"


	9. Chapter 9: Confrontations

Geez, what chapter is this? 9? This story got a lot longer than I expected it, but that's okay. It was fun to write it. And it ain't over yet! So, yeah. Guess I'll just let you read. Everybody probably skips this part anyway.

**Chapter 9: Confrontations**

Life in Monsbaiya is steady and unchanging. Its isolated location protects it against the rapidly changing western world. Every once in a while, a new traveler from the West brings a new invention or idea to the sleepy desert town. But while little ripples would break the steadiness of life, Monsbaiya follows the image of the shifting sands it is surrounded by, the hot wind smoothing and reshaping back to a stable, normal shape.

Though nothing had physically changed, Beldo felt like a new person. The downward slope his life had taken nineteen years ago seemed to be righting itself at last. He walked home, Elfie trailing at his heels, and he reveled in the beauty of the town he had once despised.

That evening, in a burst of energy, Beldo decided to clean the abandoned house. His months of occupancy and the mess that was left behind the by the previous owners had gathered into an uncontrolled disaster that Beldo had been doing his best to ignore. When Weedy had begun visiting the house, Beldo has simply shoved as much stuff as he could into the uninhabited corners of the house. With Elfie supervising, he cleaned until the moon had risen above the Tower. Finally, he decided to qui for the evening. He found an area in a corner to set down the box in his arms and he turned away. As he turned, something in the corner caught his eye.

It was the black cloak, still crumpled in a ball from the night at Fur's general store. It was covered in a tin layer of dust, most likely from Beldo's shifting of boxes. Beldo lifted it gently and held it in from of his face, his gaze transfixed by the rumpled black cloth.

Beldo suddenly felt as if someone was watching him. He stuffed the black cloak in a large crate of broken dishes and whirled to face the front windows, eyes darting wildly.

The windows were empty, the dark night sky was all that was visible past the windowsill. The faded curtains blew gently in the breeze that blew in through the glass-less windows.

Beldo scolded himself for his paranoia. "I am past hat," He said forcefully, "Beyond that ridiculous action." He glanced at Elfie for support, but she just yawned and rested her chin on her paws.

"It's over," Beldo murmured, "I have passed that. A new chapter…" He paced the room, muttering to himself and doing his best to console himself.

"Pathetic! That is what this is! Swayed by a stupid cloak that caused nothing but trouble to begin with! Forget it, Beldo!"

He sat down heavily on the bed, shaking the mattress and walking Elfie form her doze. She lifted her head and scooted herself so her head rested on Beldo's leg. Her eyes followed Beldo's hand as it hovered above her in surprise, then settled between her ears. She closed her eyes contentedly and returned to her sleep.

Beldo watched his little dog with wonder. His mind suddenly felt at east and his worrying about the cloak had dissipated. Though Elfie was asleep, Beldo talked to her, more as a way to clear his mind than as one side of a conversation.

"I was afraid when I saw that cloak, Elfie,' he said, absently scratching the fuzzy brown head, "I felt like a new man today, cleansed. But that cloak…It's proof I was…corrupted less than a month ago. It scared me for what it was:" a reminder of what I could still become again."

Elfie yawned again, clearly bored with Beldo's indecision. She rolled onto her back, begging for a belly rub. When none came, she rolled back over and watched her master curiously.

Beldo's eyes drifted across the room, not really seeing the furnishings of the house. He was so distracted, he almost passed over a small, black leather-bound book resting on the table in the center of the room. A shaft of moonlight shone through the open window, spilling a circle of pure white light over the black book. Beldo stood slowly, suddenly mesmerized by the book. He reached out with one shaking hand and grudgingly picked up the book.

He opened the cover tentatively and scanned the first words on the page, using the moonbeam for light. As he read, some passages seemed to jump out at him, pushing themselves into his vision and his mind.

"June 16

Dear Diary,

My quest to destroy Koh's life has come to a temporary halt…Although I burn to kill him now…must find a way to destroy Koh's mind…will rue the day his father challenged me!"

Beldo dropped the book, flinging it from himself as if it were a desert scorpion. His eyes wide in cold realization, he lowered himself to the floor and leaned against the sideboard of the bead, his head resting in his hands.

Elfie jumped from the bed to the floor, lost her balance and did a half-somersault on the wood floor. She shook her head, got to her feet and padded to Beldo's side. She rested on paw on the tow of his boot and whimpered fretfully.

"I cannot be around people," Beldo said, his voice muffled behind his hands, "I was dangerous once. Insane. I cannot possibly seek the company of humans anymore." He leaned back against the bed and stared at the ceiling, "And who would want to associate with this cold-blooded murderer? I was never meant to belong in civilization.

"So it is decided," Beldo said after a short silence," I will return to the Tower. I will fight in the Tower for myself alone. And," he sighed and closed his eyes painfully, "I will sever all ties with the people of this town. Monsbaiya will become only a market for my conquests in the Tower. No more."

Elfie padded quietly to the middle of the room and plopped unceremoniously on the floor. Suddenly, she burst into a brilliant blue-white light. The light grew brighter until the room was completely obscured by the radiance emanating from the little dog. Then, the light began to subside, receding back to the point of origin.

But Elfie was gone. In her place stood a creature about the size of an Irish wolfhound. The creature resembled a large dog, aside from her color, a pale silvery blue, and a pair of silver wings folded neatly on her blue-haired back. She shook her head to settle her glossy coat and calmly sat on her haunches to face Beldo.

Beldo had backed away when the light began to grow; he had been pushed back by the painful luminescence of the magic light. He lowered his arm and stared incredulously at the silver-blue creature in his house.

"Greetings, Lord Beldo," the creature said, inclining her head in a show of respect, "It is a pleasure to finally speak to you in person."

Beldo blinked a few times, unable to grasp what had just happened. He opened and closed his mouth a few times as he found and immediately rejected things to say to this strange being in his living room. Finally, he managed to say, "Where is Elfie?"

The blue dog chuckled and rearranged her wings, "I _am_ Elfie. I should probably explain."

"Please," Beldo prompted, still in a daze.

"My name is, or was, Verra. I'm…a new breed of monster, I suppose." She shrugged apologetically, "I don't really remember much before I left the Tower."

Beldo was beginning to regain his composure. He straightened his posture and a touch of his condescending former self came through in his voice. "You're a familiar," he said, "My familiar?"

Verra-Elfie nodded kindly and wordlessly.

"If you have been a familiar this entire time," Beldo said, "Why did you not show yourself before? And why me?" His voice rose steadily to an almost hysterical pitch as he vented his feelings "Why choose a failure like me? A broken man whose only remarkable deeds involve murder and revenge?" He turned away from the ethereal creature in his living room, "I don't deserve a second chance."

The blue creature that claimed to be Elfie smiled; a strange expression that could never exist on a normal dog, but somehow it seemed natural on the animal. "Maybe that's true," she said, her voice a low rumble, "But I've watched you for the past months. I can't believe you're evil at heart. I want to help you.

"Now," she continued, "As for why I stayed in my disguise. I could only help you in the Tower. The one clause," she chuckled, "You had to want to challenge the Tower, first."

"What do I do, then?" Beldo asked, "There has to be a catch; there always is. There must be."

"No catch," Elfie said, "I chose you." She shook her head and walked to Beldo's side. "I'm not here to challenge your decisions, although I don't think you'll be able to avoid Weedy. That girl is intense. Anyway, we'll get started in the Tower tomorrow, right?"

Beldo sighed and tipped his head forward into his palms. "What do I have to lose?" he whispered to himself. Suddenly, a blue-white muzzle pushed its way between his arms and Elfie's wet nose touched Beldo's own nose. He looked up and smiled, "You are my one constant friend, Elfie. Or would you prefer Verra?"

She smiled, "My name's Elfie now. Unless you want to change it." She let out a short, happy bark and cheered, "We train tomorrow!"

"Yes, "Beldo said quietly, relieved to be thinking about the future rather than the past, "Tomorrow we begin."

The days that followed quickly evolved into routine. Beldo and Elfie, now constantly in her new form, explored the Tower by night and slept by day. The nocturnal lifestyle was Beldo's idea; by working at night, he could avoid most of the denizens of Monsbaiya. He used the early mornings and late evenings for selling the items he got into the Tower.

The first few times Weedy came by, Beldo almost gave in. She knocked on the locked door and called for him while Beldo did his best to block out her voice. Eventually, it became easier for Beldo to suppress the urge to fling open the front door and greet Weedy with open arms. Elfie hid under the table during Weedy's visits and covered her floppy ears with her paws. She pretended to sleep, but Beldo knew she was never truly asleep.

Weedy's visits became shorter until one day she didn't come at all. Beldo was relieved but when no knocks accompanied the town bell, Beldo felt a small piece of him disappear. He was sad for a while, but managed to get his emotions under control. But that little hole was always present in some form.

To drown out his feelings of loneliness and guilt, Beldo threw himself into his work in the Tower. They were forced to start slow at first; Elfie, being young and a brand-new familiar, had never fought strategically in the Tower before and it had been seven years since Beldo had seriously fought against monsters.

But Elfie learned fast, Beldo was able to dig up his long-dormant fighter skills , and the duo was soon reaching levels above the twentieth floor, no small feat for any trainer, let alone one who had been training for just a few months.

The treasure and fame that had once symbolized life in the Tower no longer held any allure for Beldo. He fought for himself and for Elfie in this new lifestyle. Though he sold most of the weapons and items he found, he kept some of his favorite swords and items, despite the high prices they could have fetched. With Elfie's urging he added a monster hut onto the abandoned house, now quickly changing to a lived-in home rather than an empty shell.

Beldo continued to pull away from society, only associating with people had absolutely had to: Fur and Tonka, the town carpenter. At times, he would remember people he had known, a path that ultimately led him to Wreath. When these bouts of nostalgia set in, Beldo would immediately lose himself in the Tower. Slowly, he became a master of hiding his feelings, expressing everything to one being only: Elfie. She listened patiently, unapproving and silently.

Elfie never claimed to understand human emotions. She was new to the human world, but from what she had observed of Beldo's life, she didn't approve. She believed Beldo was only putting off his problems by isolating himself and she missed Weedy terribly.

"It is for the best," Beldo would answer whenever Elfie expressed her feelings, "She needs to grow up away from…"

"From what?" Elfie challenged one afternoon, "From you? You've done nothing to influence her badly. Why do you insist on making life painful for yourself?"

"Because life is painful," Beldo said quietly, his head bent over a shirt in his lap. He knotted off a piece of thread and began to mend a tear in the sleeve.

"Only if you make it that way!" Elfie challenged, "I've been watching you. You know you miss people. Why do you deny it?"

"Elfie," Beldo sighed, "I don't have the strength to fight you on this. Please just let it alone."

Elfie sighed and rested her chin on her paws. "If you're not going to talk to other people, at least scratch my ears. Or a belly rub would be dreamy," Beldo just smiled weakly and continued sewing. "You will become a crabby old man if you keep on this ay," Elfie said grumpily, disappointed at the lack of a belly rub.

"I already am a crabby old man," Beldo laughed softly, more to himself than to Elfie, "I've become broken old man who has only simple things to live for."

:You're not old," Elfie yawned, starting to get bored with the conversation. She opened her mouth wide, baring her teeth and pink tongue in a huge yawn, "Let's talk about something else. I've learned to keep my opinions to myself. D'you have any more of those Koh toys?"

Beldo smiled wryly, "Aren't you a little big for those?"

A knock on the door interrupted the conversation between man and dog. Elfie made a move to get up, but Beldo motioned to her to stay. She whimpered and cast a doleful look at Beldo. He closed his eyes and shook his head slowly.

"Beldo? Are you in there?" A woman's voice came through the heavy door, a touch of worry in her tone. Beldo's eyes snapped open in surprise and he stared at the closed door without moving a muscle.

"Beldo? Please, if you're home, let me in. I just want to talk."

"It's Wreath," Elfie whispered excitedly. She got to her feet and stepped toward the door, "I'm going to let her in!"

"No!" Beldo hissed, making a move to grab Elfie, but he was too late. Elfie dashed to the door and had the handle her mouth before Beldo was halfway across the room. When she turned the handle, Beldo found himself face to face with Wreath.

Wreath smiled nervously, "I thought you were home."

Beldo blinked, stunned, then made a small bow, "Come in, Wreath. It's…good to see you."

Wreath stepped over the threshold and set down a white bag she had been holding in her arms. She looked up and followed Beldo's gaze to the bag. "Wedding plans," she explained, hastily adding, "For Koh and Nico Southey. She's a sweet girl… I'm sorry. I'm rambling."

"No," Beldo said quickly, "It…what can I…"

"Why did you leave?" Wreath interrupted suddenly, turning to face Beldo. "Without even saying goodbye to her. Why?"

Beldo was speechless. He ran a hand through his hair and looked away, suddenly ashamed. When he found his voice, he whispered, "It's not right for her to spend time with her father's killer."

Wreath sighed and stepped toward him, "Beldo, she doesn't know. She's depressed without you. She needs you." She paused and added, "She loves you."

Beldo's head snapped up at Wreath's words. "What?" he asked hoarsely. No one had ever said those words to him since he was a child.

"She loves you," Wreath repeated, "Come back, Beldo."

He looked up and his eyes were caught by Wreath's large brown eyes. He was about to give in, a heartbeat away from giving in to Wreath's pleas. He could spend time with Weedy and Wreath, be happy forever and…

"No," he said firmly. The strength of his own voice surprised him, but he continued, "I have made an oath and I intend to keep it."

"What are you talking about?" Wreath interrupted, "I don't understand what's wrong. Why are we…?"

"I told you," Beldo interjected, "It has nothing to do with you. I have finally come to the realization that I have lived a life that was not worth living."

"Beldo, no! You…"

"Just listen!" All I have done with my life is conspire, hate and murder! Do you know what I've done? Wreath I…"

"I know what you've done," Wreath interrupted, her voice stable and calm, "I've known for seven years. I can't say I completely understand why you hated Guy. No one ever can. But I think I have a pretty good idea."

"So you are content with this…acquaintance?" Beldo challenged, "You do not think it dishonors your husband?"

"Aren't you betraying yourself by denying yourself happiness?" Wreath retorted sharply.

"People like me do not deserve happiness!" Beldo shouted, impassioned by his cause. However much he wanted to abandon this fight, he knew it was what was best for all three of them and he couldn't bring himself to back down. "People like me, we deserve nothing; especially not kindness from those they have wronged!"

Wreath silently stared at Beldo, waiting for his tirade to end. When she finally spoke, her voice was a whisper. "No one in your position deserves to be an outcast. I never blamed you for Guy's death, as heartless as it sounds. Guy knew the risks of the Tower. Every time he left, I wondered if it would be the last time I saw him alive." She sighed, wiped a tear from her cheek and continued, "As for you, I knew what you were going through, even though you think I didn't. Jealousy drove you insane and it was that jealousy that killed Guy. He should have seen the signs. Or maybe he did and he thought he could fix them. It's what Guy would have done."

"Wreath…"

"Just let me say this. I've been holding it for seven years and it's time I let it out." She let her eyes drift to meet Beldo's, "Even after Guy, after Koh, I never stopped loving you." She laughed a little at Beldo's expression of pure surprise, "I bet you didn't know that. Thought we were just friends?" No, I loved you just as much as I loved Guy. Funny how things turn out," she mused sadly.

Beldo didn't respond. He stood in complete shock, unable to think of anything to say. His brain screamed at him to say something, anything to keep Wreath near him. She loved him! His heart fluttered wildly in his chest and every fiber urged him to return her love.

But while he strained to say he loved her, a tiny corner of his brain held him back. "Murderer," it said, "You're a murderer and you know it. She may say she doesn't care but she does, oh she does. How can't she? You destroyed the man she married. The man she loved. The man she lived with for seven years. Whom she had two children with. Of course she cares. She could never be with a murderer like you!"

"Weedy loves you too," Wreath continued. She had picked up her bag and was twisting the rope handles nervously with her fingers as she spoke. "She loves you like a father. Even a month after you… she still talks about you. You're the only father she's ever know."

Suddenly, the temple bell chimed the hour, the sound of the iron bell made Wreath start. "I better go," she said, hastily walking to the door. She paused near Elfie, who had been silently observing from a shadow near the door. Wreath petted Elfie's head and turned for a final glance at Beldo.

Beldo wasn't looking at Wreath. His face in his hand, he stared into nothingness as he battled with himself to keep from running to her. He heard Wreath say, "I won't bother you again. But remember: our door is always open to you." He heard the clicking of the latch and she was gone.

"Aren't you doing to go after her?" Elfie exclaimed. She skidded to Beldo's side and an involuntary bark escaped her, "She loves you! This could be your last chance!"

"Don't you think I know?" Beldo snapped, "But what can I do? She does not…"

"If you say she doesn't deserve you, I'll bite your foot!" Elfie interrupted.

"You are not supposed to interfere in my life!" Beldo said, "My decision is final!" He stalked to the door and threw it open so sharply, it slammed against the wall behind it.

"Where are you going?" Elfie called, her voice a mixture of anger and hope.

"I am going for a walk!" Beldo shouted, "You are to stay here! I will be back soon." He slammed the door shut behind him, leaving Elfie behind, her head sadly balanced on her paws in anticipation of her master's return.


	10. Chapter 10: So Comes the Cleansing Rain

Again, another first. Please read and review to let me know how crap-tastic this part is. I'm happy with Mia, but the rest…I try to avoid reading it. But I'm probably just imagining things, so read it and tell me! Yay, almost done!

**Chapter 10: The Cleansing Rain**

As Beldo reached the end of the house's sidewalk, he paused and looked up toward the darkening sky. While they had been inside, storm clouds has gathered over Monsbaiya, blotting out any trace of sunlight and covering the town with an eerie gray filter.

Monsbaiya was almost exactly in the center of the desert, a tiny oasis that took at least a week of hard travel to reach. The surrounding desert was formidable, scorching heat and no shade for hundreds of miles turned away most travelers; only the die-hard fortune seekers dared the crossing.

Of course, because of its location, Monsbaiya seldom ever saw rain. The town's only water supply was the central fountain, supplied by a lively, apparently never-ending spring. The popular myth in Monsbaiya was that the spring was fed by magic from the Tower. The only other source of water was the rain, which came so rarely, its coming was written into songs and myths in the desert town. The last rain had been seven years before, on the eve of Guy's death.

Because rain came so rarely, when the clouds finally released, it rained in sheets, sometimes for days on end, as if the sky had been saving up its raindrops for one great show. The townspeople stayed inside and watched dolefully out their windows, waiting for the waterfall from the sky to turn to a drizzle and then cease altogether. No one stayed outside in the rain; there were no exceptions. The people of Monsbaiya seemed bewitched by the rain, afraid that it would wash them away as if they too were made of sand.

Beldo stared up at the angrily swirling clouds. Suddenly, a brilliant burst of lightning obscured the town. For less than a heartbeat, everything was gone in a white flash of light. Then, the town was back from the nether world, the walls of the houses rattling with a deafening clap of thunder. Beldo closed his eyes and let the sound cascade over him, remembering the last time he had heard thunder.

As the thunder rolled away into the distance, the rain began to fall. A few fat droplets landed on Beldo's face. He wiped them off with the back of his hand and stared at the dark streaks they left on his glove. He smiled, his smile small and nostalgic as the fell of rain returned to him.

He considered turning around and returning to the house, but Beldo doubted he would stay long even if he did go back in. Casting one last glance at the sky, he set off into the rain.

Shortly after he left, the easy sprinkling transformed into the downpour. In just a few minutes, puddles were beginning to form on the ground and streams of rain flowed off the roofs into urns that acted as rain collectors. Beldo carelessly splashed through the puddles, hardly even noticing the state he was in. His hair and clothes were soon completely soaks, but he kept walking.

He stopped in front of a building a block or two north of his own house. Something, an unseen force perhaps, or just the desire to get out of the rain, drove Beldo into the building. He looked around furtively, an old habit, confirming that no one was following him and he pulled the door open. A rush of cool air greeted him, chilling his drenched body and sending goose bumps up his arms. He shivered, pushed past the wall of air, and entered the library.

The library was completely silent; the only sound was the dull patter of raindrops on the roof. The bookshelves stood in stately rows, the colors on the spines of the books muted by the dim light from a few gas-lit lamps. The building was deserted; not a soul could be seen except the wizened old librarian sitting behind his desk at the far end of the room.

The tiny man looked up from his papers in irritation as Beldo walked in. His glassed fell from their perch on the end of his nose and he sputtered angrily, "Y-y-you can't come in here, young man! You must leave a-at once!"

Beldo narrowed his eyes and shook his arms defiantly. Water droplets flew out from his clothes. The little man squeaked in panic and shuffled to the stack of books around Beldo. He produced a large handkerchief and tenderly blotted the books, muttering soothingly to them as he worked.

"You m-must leave!" the man said, "I won't allow you to stay here and destroy my books!" He spoke about the books as if they were his children and every few seconds, he glanced over his shoulder to make sure the books weren't suffering or whatever it was that he was afraid was happening to them. "Out! Out!" he said as he swatted at Beldo's arm with the handkerchief.

Beldo's hand shot out and grabbed the handkerchief in mid-swat. For a moment, his temper flared and his considered grabbing the little man by the throat. In the next second, though, the anger subsided and he was left with a feeling of mild annoyance. "Is this not a public building?" he said in a quiet dangerous voice.

The librarian faltered, "Well, y-yes, but…" He frowned deeply and threw his arms in the air, "Just don't touch the books until you dry off!" He stalked back to the circulation desk, muttering angrily under his breath. He climbed onto his stool, glared at Beldo once more, and returned to his paperwork.

Beldo looked around as he slowly wrung himself out. He took off his cloak and twisted it tightly, taking care to allow the water runoff to land in "safe" areas. He did the same with his hair, squeezing out the water as efficiently as he could manage. When he was satisfied he was as dry as he could manage, he left he entry area and wandered around in the library.

The library had not been here seven years ago, so Beldo came to the conclusion that Koh had built it. He felt no pang of anger at the thought of Koh, just a fleeting sensation of sadness over another piece of evidence that the town he had known was gone. Alongside Koh's picture in his mind were Wreath and Weedy's, suddenly appearing like dandelion seeds dropped in by the breeze. Beldo forced their faces from his mind and concentrated entirely on his surroundings.

The skylights of the library, normally clear and sunny, were now a reflection of the sky outside. The sliver of visible clouds was dark gray, almost black and the surface of the glass was speckled with raindrops that glittered like tiny diamonds.

The interior of the library was dark and felt as if it should be musty-smelling, due to the large amounts of dusty volumes on the shelves. But the smell of the books was overpowered by a smell of freshly cut wood and new paint. _This place must have been built recently_, Beldo thought as he walked down the rows of shelves. Beldo's eyes glided over the spines of the books without taking in any of the titles. The books were unimportant; he was simply here to escape from his life, if only for a few hours.

Beldo chose a book to read, deciding completely on a random basis, and ending up with a dark green book on the botany of Monsbaiya. He rolled his eyes in disgust, but sat down in a black armchair with the book on his lap. He opened the book and began to read, or rather to scan the pages in an autonomic fashion.

"You're not really reading that, are you?" A young girl seated behind Beldo turned and stared from him to the book. Her glassed were very thick and hid most of her face. The rest of her face not disguised by the glasses was veiled by her straight turquoise-colored hair. She adjusted her glasses and said matter-of-factly, "You look like you'd be interested in books on the Monster Tower. They're over there, number 714.5 through 720.1." She pointed toward a shelf of books and waited for Beldo to move.

Beldo paused, waiting for the girl to respond to his silence. When she didn't, he snapped his book shut. "Do you work here?" thoroughly annoyed by the girl.

She shook her head sharply, causing the ends of her hair to brush the tops of her shoulders, "No, I just stay in here a lot. Even when it's not raining." She paused, then tentatively extended one hand, "I'm Mia Myrra."

"I do not care," Beldo said brusquely, waving Mia's hand away, "Leave me alone."

"I'm sorry," Mia said, her voice quivering as if she wer on the verge of tears, "I guess I do butt in sometimes. I just figured I could help you. I mean, I do read a lot of books and sometimes books can help you solve problems in your own life. But if you want me to leave you alone, I understand. Most people find me irritating and…"

"Stop!" Beldo hissed, mindful of his voice level, "If I permit you to…say whatever it is you want to say, will you please be quiet?"

"Of course," Mia said. She picked up the book she had been reading, clutched it to her chest, and sat down in a chair facing Beldo. "Tell me what's wrong and I'll solve it."

"Well, I…my brother has been distraught lately," Beldo said cautiously, "He loves this woman and she loves him. Or so she says. But I…he did a terrible thing in the past and he feels he is unworthy of the woman." Beldo stopped in shock, surprised at how much information he had just released and at how easily it had come out.

Mia nodded knowingly, unaware of Beldo's obvious role in his story. "What's your brother's name?" she finally asked.

"Umm…Jabs."

"How old?"

"Thirty…er, thirty."

"What color hair?"

"Does it really matter?"

"Yes! It's important!"

"Fine. Brown."

"How could he have brown hair if he's your brother?" Mia said suspiciously, "He should have blue hair."

"This is irrelevant!" Beldo said impatiently, "Are you trying to be difficult?"

"You must be half-brothers," Mia concluded, more to herself than to Beldo, "Or he's adopted. That explains the hair." Beldo sighed and started to stand up, completely frustrated by the girl. "Your brother's problem is just like the book The Hidden Knight. Do you wanna hear the end?"

Beldo stopped and turned to face the girl. "No," he said softly, "I do not want to hear the end." He sat back down and said pensively, "Tell me, do you believe that one wrong deed condemns a man forever?"

Mia looked up from the book in her lap. She studied Beldo for a while and answered in a serious tone, "I believe people can make mistakes and those mistakes shouldn't be held against them, y'know?" That's just the way we are. If your brother knows what he did was wrong, he probably punished himself for it already."

"Perhaps it was the Tower," Beldo mumbled, "That made me act the way I did."

"Oh, sure!" Mia exclaimed, nodding her head emphatically, "There are studies! The Tower emanates some kind of magic or something that makes people more aggressive! I can find the book if you want!

"But with your brother," she continued, "Whatever he did, he obviously can love and be loved. So he's not all bad. Tell him to take a chance with his girlfriend."

Beldo smiled, his first genuine smile in seven years, "Thank you, girl. You are wise beyond your years."

"Hey, how old do you think I am?" Mia retorted, but Beldo was already across the library and heading out the door.

The librarian noticed Beldo's departure and shouted after him, "Y-young man! If you leave, you can't c-come back in! Not with that rain outside!" When he received no response, he sat down and returned to his work, muttering about the insolence of youth.

Mia returned her gaze to the blue-haired man's retreating form, now disappearing through the library door into the storm outside. She gasped as sudden realization came to her. "That was a man!" she whispered in awe. She had always thought she couldn't talk to any member of the male sex. She smiled and blushed furiously as she congratulated herself on her self-improvement. Then she sat down in an empty chair and resumed reading, seemingly unruffled by the encounter.

"Weedy, sweetie, please don't mope like that," Wreath pleaded with her small daughter, who was sitting at the table with her chin propped on one hand. Wreath continued, "Why don't you read me a page from your Monster Book?"

Weedy moaned sadly, "I don't wanna. It's not the same without Beldo." She closed her eyes and allowed her head to slide from her hand to the tabletop.

"You read it perfectly fine before Beldo," Wreath replied, "I've told you he might not come back. He's…very busy with the Tower, after all."

"I'm gonna go see him," Weedy declared. She bounced to her feet and marched toward the front door only to be caught up by her mother.

"Not in this rain," Wreath said, setting her daughter back in the kitchen and moving to the window. Weedy followed her and rested her chin on the windowsill dreamily.

"It hasn't rained like this in years," Wreath murmured, absently stroking Weedy's hair, "Not since Guy's…"

"Not since what?" Weedy asked, turning to glance up at her mother, "What, Mama?"

Wreath was about to deny what she had said, sparing herself the pain of thinking of her late husband. She looked down at Weedy and something changed in her mind. _It isn't right for her not to know anything about Guy_, Wreath thought. She smiled at Weedy and said, "Since your daddy died."

Weedy stared at her mother for a moment, completely shocked at Wreath's unusual mention of Guy. Then she smiled and tugged on Wreath's hand comfortingly.

Suddenly, the quiet of the house was interrupted by a loud knock on the door. Mother and daughter looked at each other, each with a different emotion in their hearts. Weedy's face was lit up with excitement and surprise. "I'll get it!" she cheered as she dashed off toward the door.

Wreath moved more slowly, a feeling of dread settling over her. Her memory of a night like this was accompanied by a knock on the door, a familiar without a master, and the news that Guy was dead. As she followed Weedy to the front door, she expected and feared to see Koh's familiar holding Koh's sword before it, a sure sign that her baby was gone. She swallowed hard and helped Weedy to unlock the door.

The heavy door swung open and the rain took advantage of the newly exposed dry area; almost immediately, small puddles began to form. The landscape beyond the door was shrouded in a veil of water, leaving only dark shapes of houses to be seen. But the figure in the doorway could be seen clearly by the dim lamplight from the house, his blue hair glowing in the low light.

Wreath and Weedy gasped at the same time, their voices molding into an unsung harmony, "Beldo!" Weedy squealed and dashed out into the rain to wrap herself around Beldo's waist, careless of the pouring rain. Wreath made no move to stop her; instead, she smiled with relief.

Beldo hadn't expected a seven-year-old girl to come pelting at him, so Weedy's attack had almost knocked him off balance. He steadied himself and returned Weedy's embrace. He glanced at Wreath, who still stood in the doorway, watching the two in the rain. "Hello, Wreath," Beldo said simply as he straightened to face her.

"Oh!" Wreath exclaimed, "Come in! You'll catch cold if you stay out there!" She took Beldo's hand and pulled him inside the house, Weedy trailing on Beldo's other hand.

Wreath turned the dials on the gas lamps in the room, increasing the dim light. She darted into the house and returned momentarily, a stack of clean towels in her arms. "Here," she said handing towels to Weedy and Beldo, "Dry yourself off, Weedy, and go get some more towels, please."

Weedy obeyed hastily and ran off into the house after giving Beldo one last hug. Beldo watched her go, then turned his attention to Wreath. He stood still, taking care to drip water only in a small radius around his feet.

"What were you thinking?" Wreath scolded him as she tossed a towel over his dripping wet hair," It's pouring and you decided to go for a walk?"

"I just needed to clear my head," Beldo said quietly. He waited as Wreath dried his hair, allowing her to riffle the towel and, in the process, mess up his hair.

"Because of what I said?" Wreath asked, her voice rising in motherly panic, "If you get sick, I'll never forgive myself. And you, you're not much better! Did you even look at the sky? How long were you out there for?"

"Wreath," Beldo caught Wreath's wrist and stopped her flurry. " I did come because of what you said," he explained as he pulled the towel off his head, "And there is but one thing I need to know. Did you mean it?"

Wreath gasped for a moment, shocked by Beldo's tone of voice and by his hand still on her wrist. "Of course I did," she whispered, "Or I wouldn't have said it."

"And you can live with my past?" Beldo said tentatively as he took Wreath's other hand in his own, "And love me despite that darkness?"

Wreath smiled and lightly touched Beldo's cheek. "I always have," she said, "And I always will love you."

Beldo's hear leapt in his chest. He pulled Wreath toward him and wrapped his arms around her. As she returned the embrace, Beldo knew that, finally, he was truly happy.


	11. Epilogue: A Life Worth Living

_Konnichi-wa, all you loyal readers! This is the epilogue of sorts, although I personally do not like it. I'm probably going to end up changing it, but it ties it up nicely. I hope it gives some closure! Or something. Anyway, this is the last chapter. Enjoy!_

**Epilogue: A Life Worth Living**

The temple was croweded with people, all craning their nexcks for a view of the bridal procession as it make its way up the aisle. The entire town had assembled to view the marriage and every available seat was taken, even the hard wooden chairs on the balconies.

In the front row sat a little girl clad in a yellow dress. A small mangy brown dog sat on her lap, curled into a ball. The dog looked up at the couple at the altar and yawned, resting her nose back on her paws and falling asleep. On her right sat her mother, a middle-aged woman who was smiling proudly. On her left was a man with vibrant blue hair, her daddy-to-be. Weedy looked up at him and grinned. He smiled and rested his arm around her shoulders. She leaned her head on his arm and turned her attention back to her brother's wedding.

Koh, an orange-haired boy of almost 18 stood at the altar across from a young woman with green hair, Nico. She blushed as he whispered something inaudible to her and they both began their vows.

As he watched the wedding, Beldo heard a whisper in his hear. He turned to find Wreath smling at him. "We'll be doing this next month," she teased, "Are you sure you want to go through with it?"

Beldo grinned and squeezed her hand, "I would not miss it for the world."

"Shh!" Weedy hushed her stepfather with a waving hand, "I can't hear!"

Beldo and Wreath exchanged glances and returned their attention to the wedding. As the priest finalized the ceremony and Nico and Koh kissed, Beldo reflected upon the events of the past years and smiled, thinking, "Mine truly is a life worth living."

* * *

_A/N: Yay! Is finished! I hope you enjoyed reading this story! Please read and review; I love feedback! Also, check out my other stuff! I'd love you forever if you did! 'Till next time!_


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